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Understanding Regular and Irregular Verbs in French

in Conjugation
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French verbs come in two types: regular and irregular. Regular verbs follow rules, but irregular verbs don’t. Let’s explore the difference!

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Regular Verbs
    • Regular -er verbs:
  • Irregular Verbs
    • Common Irregular Verb Changes:
    • Common Irregular Verbs:
    • Irregular Verbs in Context:
  • 200 common irregular verbs in French
  • Conclusion

Regular Verbs

In French, regular verbs follow consistent rules for conjugation, making them easier to learn than irregular verbs. Regular verbs can be further categorized into 3 groups based on their verb endings: first group (-er), second group (-ir), and third group (-re). This helps organize verbs and is useful when learning conjugation patterns.

Regular -er verbs:

For -er verbs, the verb stem does not change. To conjugate, you remove the -er ending and add the endings:

-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent

So parler (to speak) becomes:

  • Je parle,
  • Tu parles,
  • Il/elle parle,
  • Nous parlons,
  • Vous parlez,
  • Ils/elles parlent

This same ending pattern applies for all compound tenses like the passé composé, imperfect, and future. For example:

J’ai parlé (I spoke), je parlais (I was speaking), je parlerai (I will speak)

The verb itself does not change, only the endings.

Other regular verbs:

Besides -er verbs, other regular verbs in French include:

  • -ir verbs like finir (to finish)
  • -re verbs like attendre (to wait)
  • -oir verbs like recevoir (to receive)

These follow regular conjugation patterns with their own sets of endings:

-ir: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent

-re: -s, -s, -∅, -ons, -ez, -ent

-oir: -ois, -ois, -oit, -evons, -evez, -oivent

Finir
je finis
tu finis
il/elle/on finit
nous finissons
vous finissez
ils/elles finissent

Attendre
j’attends
tu attends
il/elle/on attend
nous attendons
vous attendez
ils/elles attendent

Recevoir
je reçois
tu reçois
il/elle/on reçoit
nous recevons
vous recevez
ils/elles reçoivent

All regular verbs share the trait of having a constant stem and only changing the endings. This makes memorizing their conjugations much easier.

In summary, understanding the rules for conjugating regular French verbs based on their endings (-er, -ir, -re, -oir) is an essential foundation for mastery of French verbal forms. With regular practice, conjugating these verbs will become second nature.

Irregular Verbs

Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs in French do not follow standard rules for conjugation. Their endings or stems change unpredictably in certain forms, which must be memorized individually. While there are fewer irregular verbs than regular ones, some of the most common and useful French verbs are irregular.

Common Irregular Verb Changes:

Some patterns do emerge among irregular French verbs that can aid memorization:

  • Changes to the stem vowel, like ‘e’ to ‘è’ (prendre – to take: je prends) or ‘o’ to ‘eu’ (pouvoir – to be able to: je peux).
  • Radical changes to the stem, like ‘v’ to ‘f’ (devoir – must: je dois)
  • Orthographic changes, like adding or removing accents (écrire – to write: j’écris).
  • Irregular past participles not ending in -é or -i, like ‘fait’ (faire – to do) and ‘vu’ (voir – to see).

Common Irregular Verbs:

The most frequent and important irregular verbs to learn in French include:

  • Être – to be
  • Avoir – to have
  • Aller – to go
  • Faire – to do/make
  • Pouvoir – to be able to
  • Vouloir – to want
  • Devoir – must
  • Dire – to say
  • Lire – to read
See also  The Past Tenses in French: Passé Composé and Imparfait

These verbs are irregular in multiple forms, so memorizing their full conjugation tables is essential. Pay extra attention to high-use verbs like être, avoir, aller, and faire.

Irregular Verbs in Context:

When learning irregular verbs, practice using them in full sentences and phrases, not just isolated conjugation charts. This reinforces proper context and usage, for example:

  • Est-ce que je peux aller au cinéma ce soir ? (Can I go to the movies tonight?)
  • Il a fait ses devoirs hier. (He did his homework yesterday.)
  • Ils sont allés au musée. (They went to the museum.)

Mastering common irregular verbs takes practice but is crucial for natural French speech and writing. With regular study, you’ll be able to use them confidently.

200 common irregular verbs in French

French Verb Translation Present Participle Past Participle
être to be étant été
avoir to have ayant eu
aller to go allant allé
faire to do/make faisant fait
dire to say/tell disant dit
pouvoir to be able to pouvant pu
vouloir to want voulant voulu
devoir must/to have to devant dû
voir to see voyant vu
venir to come venant venu
prendre to take prenant pris
falloir to be necessary fallant fallu
valoir to be worth valant valu
mettre to put mettant mis
savoir to know sachant su
vouloir to want voulant voulu
pleuvoir to rain pleuvant plu
partir to leave partant parti
lire to read lisant lu
écrire to write écrivant écrit
croître to grow croissant crû
boire to drink buvant bu
croire to believe croyant cru
recevoir to receive recevant reçu
courir to run courant couru
mourir to die mourant mort
naître to be born naissant né
rire to laugh riant ri
suivre to follow suivant suivi
vivre to live vivant vécu
conduire to drive conduisant conduit
craindre to fear craignant craint
parvenir to attain parvenant parvenu
venir to come venant venu
tenir to hold tenant tenu
obtenir to obtain obtenant obtenu
revenir to come back revenant revenu
devenir to become devenant devenu
prévenir to warn prévenant prévenu
souvenir to remember souvenant souvenu
venir to come venant venu
partir to leave partant parti
lire to read lisant lu
écrire to write écrivant écrit
croître to grow croissant crû
boire to drink buvant bu
croire to believe croyant cru
recevoir to receive recevant reçu
courir to run courant couru
mourir to die mourant mort
naître to be born naissant né
rire to laugh riant ri
rire to laugh riant ri
suivre to follow suivant suivi
vivre to live vivant vécu
conduire to drive conduisant conduit
craindre to fear craignant craint
parvenir to attain parvenant parvenu
venir to come venant venu
tenir to hold tenant tenu
obtenir to obtain obtenant obtenu
revenir to come back revenant revenu
devenir to become devenant devenu
prévenir to warn prévenant prévenu
souvenir to remember souvenant souvenu
avenir future avenant advenu
circoncire to circumcise circoncisant circoncis
déchoir to deteriorate déchoyant déchu
enduire to coat enduisant enduit
exclure to exclude excluant exclu
inscrire to register inscrivant inscrit
méconnaître to fail to recognize méconnaissant méconnu
prédire to predict prédisant prédit
réapparaître to reappear réapparaissant réapparu
recroître to grow again recroissant recrû
réélire to re-elect réélisant réélu
renaître to be reborn renaissant re-né
résoudre to resolve résolvant résolu
sourdre to spring up sourdant sursis
transcrire to transcribe transcrivant transcrit
clore to close clôtant clôt
déclore to hatch déclôtant déclôt
accroître to increase accroissant accru
acquérir to acquire acquérant acquis
affaiblir to weaken affaiblissant affaibli
assaillir to assail assaillant assailli
tressaillir to shiver tressaillant tressailli
ouvrir to open ouvrant ouvert
offrir to offer offrant offert
souffrir to suffer souffrant souffert
couvrir to cover couvrant couru
cueillir to pluck cueillant cueilli
vouloir to want voulant voulu
pleuvoir to rain pleuvant plu
pouvoir to be able to pouvant pu
émouvoir to move émouvant ému
voir to see voyant vu
envoyer to send envoyant envoyé
s'asseoir to sit s'asseyant assis
recevoir to receive recevant reçu
devoir to owe devant dû
savoir to know sachant su
valoir to be worth valant valu
vouloir to want voulant voulu
prévoir to foresee prévoyant prévu
pourvoir to provide pourvoyant pourvu
se mouvoir to move se mouvant mouvu
choir to fall choyant chu
échoir to be due échoyant échu
déchoir to degenerate déchoyant déchu
émouvoir to move émouvant ému
promouvoir to promote promouvant promu
se mouvoir to move se mouvant mû
pleuvoir to rain pleuvant plu
apparaître to appear apparaissant apparu
disparaître to disappear disparaissant disparu
paraître to seem paraissant paru
connaître to know connaissant connu
paître to graze paissant paî
repaître to feast on repaissant repaî
surseoir to suspend surséant sursis
choir to fall choyant chu
déchoir to degenerate déchoyant déchu
échoir to be due échoyant échu
lire to read lisant lu
élire to elect élisant élu
relire to reread relisant relu
rire to laugh riant ri
sourire to smile souriant souri
circoncire to circumcise circoncisant circoncis
écrire to write écrivant écrit
décrire to describe décrivant décrit
transcrire to transcribe transcrivant transcrit
maudire to curse maudissant maudit
médire to slander médisant médi
dire to say disant dit
contredire to contradict contredisant contredit
interdire to forbid interdisant interdit
prédire to predict prédisant prédit
redire to repeat redisant redit
croître to grow croissant cru
accroître to increase accroissant accru
décroître to decrease décroissant décru
recroître to grow again recroissant recru
croire to believe croyant cru
décroire to distrust décroyant décrû
mécroire disbelief mécroyant mécrû
acquiescer to agree acquiesçant acquiescé
affluer to flow affluant afflué
influer to influence influençant influencé
affluera will flow affluent afflué
conclure to conclude concluant conclu
exclure to exclude excluant exclu
résoudre to resolve résolvant résolu
dissoudre to dissolve dissolvant dissous
absoudre to absolve absolvant absous
moudre to grind moulant moulu
résoudre to resolve résolvant résolu
fondre to melt fondant fondu
répondre to answer répondant répondu
correspondre to correspond correspondant correspondu
tondre to shear tondant tondu
tordre to twist tordant tordu
plaindre to pity plaignant plaint
se plaindre to complain se plaignant s'est plaint
contraindre to compel contraignant contraint
éteindre to extinguish éteignant éteint
ceindre to gird ceignant cinct
enfreindre to infringe enfreignant enfreint
astreindre to compel astreignant astreint
étreindre to hug étreignant étreint
épreindre to squeeze épreignant épreint
joindre to join joignant joint
adjoindre to adjoin adjoignant adjoint
disjoindre to separate disjoignant disjoint
oindre to anoint oignant oint
poindre to appear poignant poin
rejoindre to rejoin rejoignant rejoint
restreindre to restrict restreignant restreint
peindre to paint peignant peint
empreindre to stamp empreignant empris
emprunter to borrow empruntant emprunté
prêter to lend prêtant prêté
remettre to hand over remettant remis
admettre to admit admettant admis
omettre to omit omettant omis
promettre to promise promettant promis
compromettre to compromise compromettant compromis
transmettre to transmit transmettant transmis
permettre to allow permettant permis
soumettre to submit soumettant soumis
mettre to put mettant mis
démettre to dismiss démettant démis
se méprendre to misunderstand se méprenant s'est mépris
reprendre to take back reprenant repris
surprendre to surprise surprenant surpris
apprendre to learn apprenant appris
entreprendre to undertake entreprenant entrepris
suspendre to hang up suspendant suspendu
tendre to tend tendant tendu
entendre to hear entendant entendu
vendre to sell vendant vendu
mésapprendre to teach badly mésapprenant mésappris
tordre to twist tordant tordu
mordre to bite mordant mordu
tordre to twist tordant tordu
clore to close closant clo
déclore to hatch déclorant déclus
enclore to enclose enclosant enclos
suffire to be sufficient suffisant suffi
confire to preserve confisant confit
circoncire to circumcise circoncisant circoncis
prédire to predict prédisant prédit
dédire to retract dédisant dédit
interdire to forbid interdisant interdit
médire slander médisant médi
dire to say disant dit
contredire to contradict contredisant contredit
maudire to curse maudissant maudit
redire to repeat redisant redit
écrire to write écrivant écrit
décrire to describe décrivant décrit
transcrire to transcribe transcrivant transcrit
inscrire to register inscrivant inscrit
See also  The Past Tenses in French: Passé Composé and Imparfait

There are more than 200 irregular verbs in French. The list of 200 verbs I provided only covers some of the most common and useful irregular verbs to know.

In total, there are around 400-500 irregular verbs in French, depending on how you count them. This includes:

  • Verbs with unpredictable conjugation patterns (like être, avoir, faire, etc.)
  • Verbs with spelling changes or accent additions (like commencer, manger, espérer, etc.)
  • Verbs with radical stem changes (like prendere, mettre, battre, etc.)
  • Defective verbs with missing forms (like choir, échoir, etc.)

So the 200 irregular verbs I listed are just a subset of the total irregular verbs in French.

In short, mastering the most common 200 irregular verbs will get you quite far, but there are between 300-400 additional irregular verbs in French you’ll come across. Focus first on the high frequency and high usage verbs. But be prepared to continually learn new irregular verb patterns.

Conclusion

In summary, regular French verbs follow set conjugation patterns for each type (-er, -ir, -re), while irregular verbs have unique conjugations that must be learned individually. Mastering both is key for fluency. With regular practice, you’ll soon be able to identify and conjugate regular and irregular verbs correctly.

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