Learning to conjugate French verbs is one of the more challenging parts of speaking the language. French might be beautiful, but it is certainly not simple. Sadly, more often than not, speaking French does not help you learn correct conjugations, because many of the verb conjugations sound similar, but are written differently. That is why using French verb conjugation charts and practicing both the pronunciation and the writing is key to reaching French proficiency. It might seem like a big task, but there are some tips that will make mastering French verbs easier.
To begin, there are three standard endings to look out for. When it comes to French conjugation, once you can identify and conjugate the verb endings for “ir” “er” and “re”, you’ll have many verbs at your immediate disposal! These regular verbs follow a pattern, which makes some of your tasks easier. Of course, keep an eye out for the inevitable irregular verbs lurking in the shadows in the last French conjugation charts provided below!
“ER” ending regular verbs – PARLER (to speak)
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles | |
| Present (parl+) | parle | parles | parle | parlons | parlez | parlent | |
| Imperfect (parl+) | parlais | parlais | parlait | parlions | parliez | parlaient | |
| Future (parler+) | parlerai | parleras | parlera | parlerons | parlerez | parleront | |
| Conditional (parler+) | parlerais | parlerais | parlerait | parlerions | parleriez | parleraient | |
| Subjunctive (parl+) | parle | parles | parle | parlions | parliez | parlent | |
Other regular “ER” verbs include: cacher, passer, manger, habiter, and marcher
“IR” ending regular verbs – Finir (to finish)
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present (fini+) | finis | finis | finit | finissons | finissez | finissent |
| Imperfect (finiss+) | finissais | finissais | finissait | finissions | finissiez | finissaient |
| Future (finir+) | finirai | finiras | finira | finirons | finirez | finiront |
| Conditional (finir+) | finirais | finirais | finirait | finirions | finiriez | finiraient |
| Subjunctive (finiss+) | finisse | finisses | finisse | finissions | finissiez | finissent |
Other regular “IR” verbs include: avertir, choisir, agir, reagir, and établir
“RE” ending regular verbs – VENDRE (To sell)
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present (vend+) | vends | vends | vend (no additional ending) | vendons | vendez | vendent |
| Imperfect (vend+) | vendais | vendais | vendait | vendions | vendiez | vendaient |
| Future (vendr+) | vendrai | vendras | vendra | vendrons | vendrez | vendront |
| Conditional (vendr+) | vendrais | vendrais | vendrait | vendrions | vendriez | vendraient |
| Subjunctive (vend+) | vende | vendes | vende | vendions | vendiez | vendent |
Other regular “RE” verbs include: attendre, entendre, descender, perdre and render
And now, as we discussed above, there are some very important exceptions to study and master. Unfortunately, some of the most useful verbs in the French language are irregular. Shocking, I know. So, I am adding in here some special mentions of verbs that deserve additional study time because of the fact that you will use them in everyday situations, constantly. Of course, the most useful French verbs would be irregular! Keep an eye out for: aller, faire, avoir, voir, and the confounding être.
AVOIR – to have
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present | J’ai* | as | a | avons | avez | Ont |
| Imperfect (av+) | avais | avais | avait | avions | aviez | avaient |
| Future (aur+) | aurai | auras | aura | aurons | aurez | auront |
| Conditional (aur+) | aurais | aurais | aurait | aurions | auriez | auraient |
| Subjunctive | aie | aies | ait | ayons | ayes | Aient |
*Don’t forget the liaison in French!
FAIRE – to do
| Tense (stem) | Je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present | Fais | fais | fait | faisons | faites | Font |
| Imperfect (fais+) | faisais | faisais | faisait | faisions | faisiez | faisaient |
| Future (fer+) | ferai | feras | fera | ferons | ferez | Feront |
| Conditional (fer+) | ferais | ferais | ferait | ferions | feriez | feraient |
| Subjunctive (fass+) | fasse | fasses | fasse | fassions | fassiez | fassent |
ALLER – to go
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present | vais | vas | va | allons | allez | vont |
| Imperfect (all+) | allais | allais | allait | allions | alliez | allaient |
| Future (ir+) | irai | iras | ira | irons | irez | iront |
| Conditional (ir+) | irais | irais | irait | irions | iriez | iraient |
| Subjunctive | aille | ailles | aille | allions | alliez | aillent |
VOIR – to see
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present (vo+) | vois | vois | voit | voyons | voyez | voient |
| Imperfect (voy+) | voyais | voyais | voyait | voyions | voyiez | voyaient |
| Future (verr+) | verrai | verras | verra | verrons | verrez | verront |
| Conditional (verr+) | verrais | verrais | verrait | verrions | verriez | verraient |
| Subjunctive (vo+) | voie | voies | voie | voyions | voyiez | Voient |
ÊTRE – to be
| Tense (stem) | je | tu | il/elle/on | nous | vous | ils/elles |
| Present | suis | es | est | sommes | êtes | sont |
| Imperfect (et+) | étais | étais | était | étions | étiez | étaient |
| Future (ser+) | serai | seras | sera | serons | serez | seront |
| Conditional (ser+) | serais | serais | serait | serions | seriez | seraient |
| Subjunctive (so+) | sois | sois | soit | soyons | soyez | soient |
It should be noted that these verb charts do not include compound conjugations, such as the passé composé or the past perfect, but it is a solid start for the 5 principal French conjugations that you will be faced with in everyday situations.
There are a few strategies to really reinforce studying your French conjugation charts, that can help make them somewhat more interesting.
You can start off by reviewing and writing them out to study. Making flashcards is also an excellent way to practice. Try mixing the cards up out of order to randomly pick a subject pronoun and guess the correct conjugation. Say the verb out loud and spell it before checking your answers!
Remember, French pronunciation and French writing are two different sets of skills. Practicing your French conjugation charts can help you master both! There are also excellent resources online, both on Youtube for speaking practice, and websites to easily look up verbs. When you have practiced, try online exercises to test your knowledge, or sign up for classes with our instructors!
Catherine Donnelly