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French uses one form to talk about things happening in the present: simple!
Reminder: The French present tense can be translated in three different ways in English depending on the context (the circumstances).
Formation of the Present Tense: Review
-er verbs
To conjugate (change the subject: je, tu…) of an -er verb:
Take the stem of the verb and...
Add the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
adorer, to adore
aimer, to like
aimer mieux, to prefer
chanter, to sing
chercher, to look for
danser, to dance
demander, to ask
détester, to hate, to detest
donner, to give
écouter, to listen to
étudier, to study
habiter, to live
jouer, to play
montrer, to show
présenter, to introduce
regarder, to watch
rencontrer , to meet (by chance)
rester, to stay, remain
téléphoner, to telephone
travailler, to work
trouver, to find
-ir verbs
To conjugate (change the subject: je, tu…) of an -ir verb:
Take the stem of the verb and...
Add the endings -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
choisir, to choose
établir, to establish
grandir, to grow (up)
grossir, to gain weight
maigrir, to lose weight
mincir, to get slimmer
obéir (à quelqu'un), to obey (someone)
réagir, to react
réfléchir, to think, reflect
réunir, to get together, assemble
réussir (à), to succeed (at)
vieillir, to grow old
NOTE: Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern. Irregular -ir verbs include ouvrir, partir, sortir, and dormir. We’ll look at those soon!
-re verbs in the present:
To conjugate (change the subject: je, tu…) of an -re verb:
Take the stem of the verb and...
Add endings: -s, -s, - (il/elle/on has no added ending), -ons, -ez, -ent.
attendre, to wait for
dépendre de, to depend (on)
entendre, to hear
pendre, to hang
perdre, to lose
rendre, to hand in, give back
rendre visite à quelqu'un, to visit someone
répondre, to answer, respond
vendre, to sell
NOTE: Some verbs ending in -re are irregular, including prendre, mettre, suivre, and vivre. We’ll look at these soon.