Present Tense

There are three major groups of regular verbs which can be told apart by their ending. These simple forms of the verb are called infinitives.

-ER verbs (e.g. regarder)

-IR verbs (e.g. finir)

-RE verbs (e.g. vendre)

There are some verbs which have minor but predictable irregularities.

Unfortunately, some verbs are completely irregular and unpredictable – you will have to learn these individually.

Regular present tense verbs are conjugated by taking away the ending from the infinitive and replacing it with the appropriate present tense ending. This depends on who is doing the action of the verb.

Using the Present Tense

The French Present Tense can usually be translated three ways into English.

E.g. Je parle = I speak / I am speaking / I do speak

The most common usages of the Present Tense are as follows:

To describe events happening at the present moment.

E.g. Pierre mange une pomme. – Pierre is eating an apple.

To talk about an action which is repeated regularly or is habitual.

E.g. Les samedis Pierre joue au foot. – On Saturdays Pierre plays football.

Sometimes the Present Tense is used in French to talk about things that have happened in the past.

E.g. En 1820, Napoléon meurt. – In 1820, Napoleon died.

Common Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

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