Présent-Indicatif - Actif (Basic Format)
35A Présent-Indicatif – actif (Basic format)The Présent - Indicatif is usually the first verb tense studied when learning French. Unfortunately, the basic format is also the most complex to conjugate and its mastery requires, above all, practice. The main rules are given below along with a few examples of each rule in action. Important! The Présent-Indicatif is also the springboard for creating 4 other simple (one-word) tenses. They are the Participe présent, the Imparfait, the Impératif présent, and the Subjonctif présent. The techniques on how to do them are shown in Appendix K. A growing number of exercises will be available here at verbexpress.net to help you practise and increase your speed and confidence in using this key tense. |
The table below shows a few examples representing the 3 groups of French verbs.
(Detailed rules of all other possibilities are shown further below.)
35A Examples:
Example 1 (masculin / féminin singulier)
1st Group - (regular verbs in –er)
Il (elle) parle. He (she) does speak / does talk. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question) He (she) is speaking / is talking. He (she) speaks / talks.
Example 2 (masculin / féminin singulier)
2nd Group - (regular verbs in –ir)
Il (elle) finit. He (she) does finish. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question) He (she) is finishing. He (she) finishes.
Example 3 (masculin / féminin singulier)
3rd Group - (irregular verbs in –ir, –oir, and –re)
Il (elle) vend. He (she) does sell. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question) He (she) is selling. He (she) sells. |
FRIENDLY WARNING!: This large section can seem a little overwhelming. There are a lot of little details. Fortunately, you do not need to read it all at once! Good News: It is worth knowing that four other verb tenses are easily extracted from the Présent-Indicatif (See Appendix K for details on how.) |
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(A variety of practice exercises for this verb tense will also be made available here at verbexpress.net, providing the best way to practise and master this challenging tense.) |
General Introduction followed by all the Basic Rules with examples.
Please rotate small devices horizontally to view the tables below! |
There are 3 groups of French verbs. 1 - Regular verbs ending in -er are called the 1st Group, and are for the most part easy to conjugate. They represent the vast majority of French verbs. 2 - Regular verbs ending in -ir are called the 2nd Group, and are also easy to conjugate. 3 - The verbs of the last group, ending in -ir, -oir, and -re, have irregular constructions, and are called the 3rd Group, and are often called the Irregular verbs. The inside part of the verbs of this group are less predictable than the verbs of the 1st and 2nd groups. Their internal spelling changes, but their endings are mostly stable as shown in the tables below. The rules and many examples of these three groups of verbs are presented systematically below. An expanding set of comprehensive webxercises are also available for personal study and online practice at verbexpress.net, as well as sample sheets available for download. |
The table below contains links to the Rule Sets for each verb group.
Click any link for instant access to that section!
1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Special Cases (Regular endings with minor internal adjustments) |
Special Case |
Special Cases Many spelling variations |
eler / eter | ||
Basic Rules for the 1st Group: These are regular verbs ending in -er. The Présent-Indicatif endings for the First Group are: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, and -ent. First, remove the -er. Then add the endings. |
Examples:
parler (to speak / to talk) Just remove the -er and add the appropriate ending: |
chanter (to sing) Just remove the -er and add the appropriate ending: |
aimer (to like / to love) Just remove the -er and add the appropriate ending: |
je parle |
je chante |
j'aime |
tu parles |
tu chantes |
tu aimes |
il (elle, on) parle |
il (elle, on) chante |
il (elle, on) aime |
nous parlons |
nous chantons |
nous aimons |
vous parlez |
vous chantez |
vous aimez |
ils (elles) parlent |
ils (elles) chantent |
ils (elles) aiment |
Exception: There is one exception: The verb "aller" becomes: je vais, tu vas, il (elle, on) va, nous allons, vous allez, ils (elles) vont.
Additional rules for the First Group (-er) :
(Regular endings with minor internal adjustments)
1st Group verbs in –er whose Infinitif form ends in "-ayer, -oyer, -uyer" These verbs change the "y" into "i" when conjugated with "je / tu / il, elle, on / ils, elles", but not with "nous" and "vous". You can keep the "y" in the "-ayer" verbs if you wish for the je, tu, il, and ils subjects as shown below. |
Examples:
payer (to pay)(2 spelling options) |
employer (to employ) |
ennuyer (to annoy / to bore) |
|
je paie |
je paye |
j'emploie |
j'ennuie |
tu paies |
tu payes |
tu emploies |
tu ennuies |
il paie |
il paye |
il emploie |
il ennuie |
nous payons |
nous payons |
nous employons |
nous ennuyons |
vous payez |
vous payez |
vous employez |
vous ennuyez |
ils paient |
ils payent |
ils emploient |
ils ennuient |
1st Group verbs in –er whose Infinitif form ends in "-ger": Special treatment with "nous": The letter "e" is added between the "g" and the "-ons" with "nous" to keep the "g" sound soft like its Infinitif form. |
Examples:
nager (to swim) |
corriger (to correct) |
interroger (to interrogate) |
je nage |
je corrige |
j'interroge |
tu nages |
tu corriges |
tu interroges |
il (elle, on) nage |
il (elle, on) corrige |
il (elle, on) interroge |
nous nageons |
nous corrigeons |
nous interrogeons |
vous nagez |
vous corrigez |
vous interrogez |
ils (elles) nagent |
ils (elles) corrigent |
ils (elles) interrogent |
1st Group verbs in –er whose Infinitif form ends in "-cer": Special treatment with "nous": The letter "c" is changed into "ç" before the "-ons" with "nous" to keep the "c" sound soft like its Infinitif form. |
Examples:
annoncer (to announce) |
financer (to finance) |
prononcer (to pronounce) |
j'annonce |
je finance |
je prononce |
tu annonces |
tu finances |
tu prononces |
il (elle, on) annonce |
il (elle, on) finance |
il (elle, on) prononce |
nous annonçons |
nous finançons |
nous prononçons |
vous annoncez |
vous financez |
vous prononcez |
ils (elles) annoncent |
ils (elles) financent |
ils (elles) prononcent |
Phonetic effects of a mute final syllable on the internal spelling of 1st-Group verbs ending in –er: |
When we conjugate verbs whose Infinitif form ends in . . . " . . . e / é + single consonant + -er " in the Présent - Indicatif with " je / tu / il, elle, on / ils, elles, the endings are silent (or mute) – that is, the "e" sound is not pronounced). |
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je | -e | ( = silent) | |||||||||||||
tu | -es | ( = silent) | |||||||||||||
il / elle / on | -e | ( = silent) | |||||||||||||
ils / elles | -ent | ( = silent) | |||||||||||||
This silent syllable causes one of two things to happen. The details and examples are shown below, in Rule A and Rule B: |
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Rule A (with Silent Syllables) Whenever the final syllable of the conjugated verb is silent (ending in -e, -es, or -ent), the " e " or " é " in the second-last syllable changes to "è": |
Examples of Rule A:
peser (to weigh) |
lever (to lift) |
préférer (to prefer) |
je pèse |
je lève |
je préfère |
tu pèses |
tu lèves |
tu préfères |
il (elle, on) pèse |
il (elle, on) lève |
il (elle, on) préfère |
nous pesons |
nous levons |
nous préférons |
vous pesez |
vous levez |
vous préférez |
ils (elles) pèsent |
ils (elles) lèvent |
ils (elles) préfèrent |
Rule A also applies to verbs containing the Infinitif ending: ". . . e / é + two different consonants + -er", where the second consonant of the pair is " r " or " l " |
Examples of Rule A
(with the two different consonants (where the second consonant is " r " or " l ") before the silent ending :
perpétrer (to perpetrate) |
célébrer (to celebrate) |
régler (to adjust) |
je perpètre |
je célèbre |
je règle |
tu perpètres |
tu célèbres |
tu règles |
il (elle, on) perpètre |
il (elle, on) célèbre |
il (elle, on) règle |
nous perpétrons |
nous célébrons |
nous réglons |
vous perpétrez |
vous célébrez |
vous réglez |
ils (elles) perpètrent |
ils (elles) célèbrent |
ils (elles) règlent |
Rule A also applies to verbs containing the Infinitif endings: ". . . e / é + ch + er", ". . . e / é + gn + er" and ". . . e / é + gu + er" |
Examples of Rule A
(with "ch", "gn", and" gu" before the ending):
pécher (to sin) |
régner (to reign) |
reléguer (to relegate) |
je pèche |
je règne |
je relègue |
tu pèches |
tu règnes |
tu relègues |
il (elle, on) pèche |
il (elle, on) règne |
il (elle, on) relègue |
nous péchons |
nous régnons |
nous reléguons |
vous péchez |
vous régnez |
vous reléguez |
ils (elles) pèchent |
ils (elles) règnent |
ils (elles) relèguent |
Rule B (with Silent Syllables) According to the recent rules of "La Nouvelle orthographe" (The New Spelling) from the Académie française, when the consonant between an "e" and a mute syllable (a syllable ending in a silent -e, -es, -ent) is an " l " or a " t ", the " l " or " t " is doubled in a small group of verbs, namely appeler, jeter, and their derivatives (including interpeler). (All other verbs whose Infinitif ends in "-eler" or "-eter" continue to follow Rule A explained above.) |
Examples of Rule B:
appeler (to call) |
jeter (to throw) |
rappeler (to call back, to recall) |
j'appelle |
je jette |
je rappelle |
tu appelles |
tu jettes |
tu rappelles |
il (elle, on) appelle |
il (elle, on) jette |
il (elle, on) rappelle |
nous appelons (the " l " is not doubled with "nous") |
nous jetons (the " t " is not doubled with "nous") |
nous rappelons (the " l " is not doubled with "nous") |
vous appelez (the " l " is not doubled with "vous") |
vous jetez (the " t " is not doubled with "vous") |
vous rappelez (the " l " is not doubled with "vous") |
ils (elles) appellent |
ils (elles) jettent |
ils (elles) rappellent |
2nd Group Verbs: These are regular verbs ending in -ir. The Présent-Indicatif endings for the Second Group are: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent They are added to the end of the verb after first removing the -ir ending. |
Examples of Regular verbs of the 2nd Group:
finir (to finish) |
atterrir (to land) |
investir (to invest) |
je finis |
j'atterris |
j'investis |
tu finis |
tu atterris |
tu investis |
il (elle, on) finit |
il (elle, on) atterrit |
il (elle, on) investit |
nous finissons |
nous atterrissons |
nous investissons |
vous finissez |
vous atterrissez |
vous investissez |
ils (elles) finissent |
ils (elles) atterrissent |
ils (elles) investissent |
2nd Group - Special Case: the verb ' haïr ' The verb haïr has a small modification on the letter " i " which affects the normal pronunciation of the ' ai ' in the nous, vous, and ils forms. Its Infinitif form is " haïr " with the tréma on the letter " ï ". (double dot). This causes the i to be pronounced independantly from the a that precedes it. The ' i tréma ' becomes a normal ' i ' for je, tu, and il-elle-on. So all three versions sound like 'mais'. But for nous, vous, and ils-elles the tréma is restored. This causes the i to be pronounced independantly from the a that precedes it. Observe how it is conjugated in the Présent-Indicatif and the effect on its sound: je hais (pronounced like mais) tu hais (pronounced like mais) il-elle-on hait (pronounced like mais) nous haïssons (pronounced 'a-i-ssons') vous haïssez (pronounced 'a-i-ssez') ils-elles haïssent (pronounced 'a-i-ssent' ) |
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3rd Group Verbs: These are irregular verbs ending in -ir, -re, and -oir Finally, we have the irregular verbs whose Infinitif form ends in -ir, -re, and -oir. This is the group of verbs that cause students the most difficulty at the beginning because of their irregularity. However, although their interiors can vary considerably from one verb to the next, their endings are stable, respecting the following patterns: -s or -x ( je ) -s or -x ( tu ) -d or -t ( il, elle, and on ) -ons ( nous ) -ez ( vous ) -ent ( ils or elles ) |
But there are various spelling changes in the middle of the verbs, such as in the following examples:
'Tenir' becomes "je tiens, tu tiens, il tient, nous tenons, vous tenez, and ils tiennent". 'Prendre' becomes "je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent". 'Vouloir' becomes "je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, and ils veulent", and 'Pouvoir' becomes "je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent"! |
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3rd Group The two most frequently used verbs of the 3rd Group are 'avoir' and 'être' They are used as normal verbs, but they are also used in creating all the Compound Tenses (les Temps composés). For an introduction to the Temp composés, see Appendix A and Appendix B. |
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Avoir |
Être |
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J'ai Tu as Il-Elle-On a Nous avons Vous avez Ils-Elles ont |
Je suis Tu es Il-Elle-On est Nous sommes Voue êtes Ils-Elles sont |
Because of their unpredictability, the irregular verbs are best learned in clusters of similar verbs.
In the following tables, you will find the main groupings of irregular verbs and their construction, followed by a few examples for each cluster.
3rd Group Irregular verbs ending in -ir with the same endings as those of the -er verbs, that is to say: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent There are a few 3rd-Group verbs (and their derivatives) whose endings in the Présent-Indicatif are the same as the endings of the 1st-Group verbs. (Recall that the 1st-Group verbs are those whose Infinitif ends in "-er".) Let's begin with these: |
Examples:
ouvrir (to open) |
offrir (to offer) |
souffrir (to suffer) |
j'ouvre |
j'offre |
je souffre |
tu ouvres |
tu offres |
tu souffres |
il (elle, on) ouvre |
il (elle, on) offre |
il (elle, on) souffre |
nous ouvrons |
nous offrons |
nous souffrons |
vous ouvrez |
vous offrez |
vous souffrez |
ils (elles) ouvrent |
ils (elles) offrent |
ils (elles) souffrent |
Now for all the others:
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -oir: |
Examples:
savoir (to know) |
vouloir (to want) |
devoir (to have to) |
pouvoir (to be able, to owe) |
je sais |
je veux |
je dois |
je peux |
tu sais |
tu veux |
tu dois |
tu peux |
il (elle, on) sait |
il (elle, on) veut |
il (elle, on) doit |
il (elle, on) peut |
nous savons |
nous voulons |
nous devons |
nous pouvons |
vous savez |
vous voulez |
vous devez |
vous pouvez |
ils (elles) savent |
ils (elles) veulent |
ils (elles) doivent |
ils (elles) peuvent |
voir (to see) |
valoir (to be worth) |
asseoir (to sit) (Pronominal form) - There are two options - |
|
je vois |
je vaux |
je m'assois |
je m'assieds |
tu vois |
tu vaux |
tu t'assois |
tu t'assieds |
il (elle, on) voit |
il (elle, on) vaut |
il (elle, on) s'assoit |
il (elle, on) s'assied |
nous voyons |
nous valons |
nous nous assoyons |
nous nous asseyons |
vous voyez |
vous valez |
vous vous assoyez |
vous vous asseyez |
ils (elles) voient |
ils (elles) valent |
ils (elles) s'assoient |
ils (elles) s'asseyent |
The irregular, impersonal verb falloir (to be necessary) - only done with "il" |
The irregular, impersonal verb pleuvoir (to rain): - only done with "il" |
il faut |
il pleut |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -clure: |
Examples:
inclure (to include) |
exclure (to exclude) |
conclure (to conclude) |
j'inclus |
j'exclus |
je conclus |
tu inclus |
tu exclus |
tu conclus |
il (elle, on) inclut |
il (elle, on) exclut |
il (elle, on) conclut |
nous incluons |
nous excluons |
nous concluons |
vous incluez |
vous excluez |
vous concluez |
ils (elles) incluent |
ils (elles) excluent |
ils (elles) concluent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -oire: |
Examples:
boire (to drink) |
croire (to believe) |
je bois |
je crois |
tu bois |
tu crois |
il (elle, on) boit |
il (elle, on) croit |
nous buvons |
nous croyons |
vous buvez |
vous croyez |
ils (elles) boivent |
ils (elles) croient |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -aire: |
Examples:
faire (to do, to make) |
plaire (to please) |
soustraire (to subtract) |
je fais |
je plais |
je soustrais |
tu fais |
tu plais |
tu soustrais |
il (elle, on) fait |
il (elle, on) plaît |
il (elle, on) soustrait |
nous faisons |
nous plaisons |
nous soustrayons |
vous faites |
vous plaisez |
vous soustrayez |
ils (elles) font |
ils (elles) plaisent |
ils (elles) soustraient |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -ire: |
Examples:
dire (to say / to tell) |
écrire (to write) |
rire (to laugh) |
je dis |
j'écris |
je ris |
tu dis |
tu écris |
tu ris |
il (elle, on) dit |
il (elle, on) écrit |
il (elle, on) rit |
nous disons |
nous écrivons |
nous rions |
vous dites |
vous écrivez |
vous riez |
ils (elles) disent |
ils (elles) écrivent |
ils (elles) rient |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -aître: |
Examples:
connaître (to know /be familiar with) |
paraître (to appear / to seem) |
naître (to be born) |
je connais |
je parais |
je nais |
tu connais |
tu parais |
tu nais |
il (elle, on) connaît |
il (elle, on) paraît |
il (elle, on) naît |
nous connaissons |
nous paraissons |
nous naissons |
vous connaissez |
vous paraissez |
vous naissez |
ils (elles) connaissent |
ils (elles) paraissent |
ils (elles) naissent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -oître: |
Examples:
croître (to grow / to increase) |
je croîs |
tu croîs |
il (elle, on) croît |
nous croissons |
vous croissez |
ils (elles) croissent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -ivre: |
Examples:
suivre (to follow) |
vivre (to live) |
survivre (to survive) |
je suis |
je vis |
je survis |
tu suis |
tu vis |
tu survis |
il (elle, on) suit |
il (elle, on) vit |
il (elle, on) survit |
nous suivons |
nous vivons |
nous survivons |
vous suivez |
vous vivez |
vous survivez |
ils (elles) suivent |
ils (elles) vivent |
ils (elles) survivent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -consonant + re: |
Examples:
battre (to beat) |
fendre (to split) |
rompre (to break) |
vaincre (to defeat) |
je bats |
je fends |
je romps |
je vaincs |
tu bats |
tu fends |
tu romps |
tu vaincs |
il (elle, on) bat |
il (elle, on) fend |
il (elle, on) rompt |
il (elle, on) vainc |
nous battons |
nous fendons |
nous rompons |
nous vainquons |
vous battez |
vous fendez |
vous rompez |
vous vainquez |
ils (elles) battent |
ils (elles) fendent |
ils (elles) rompent |
ils (elles) vainquent |
3rd Group - The irregular verb mettre and its derivatives: |
Examples:
mettre (to put) |
permettre (to permit) |
remettre (to put back) |
je mets |
je permets |
je remets |
tu mets |
tu permets |
tu remets |
il (elle, on) met |
il (elle, on) permet |
il (elle, on) remet |
nous mettons |
nous permettons |
nous remettons |
vous mettez |
vous permettez |
vousremettez |
ils (elles) mettent |
ils (elles) permettent |
ils (elles) remettent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -oudre and -soudre: |
Examples:
coudre (to sew) |
moudre (to grind) |
résoudre (to solve) |
dissoudre (to dissolve) |
je couds |
je mouds |
je résous |
je dissous |
tu couds |
tu mouds |
tu résous |
tu dissous |
il (elle, on) coud |
il (elle, on) moud |
il (elle, on) résout |
il (elle, on) dissout |
nous cousons |
nous moulons |
nous résolvons |
nous dissolvons |
vous cousez |
vous moulez |
vous résolvez |
vous dissolvez |
ils (elles) cousent |
ils (elles) moulent |
ils (elles) résolvent |
ils (elles) dissolvent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -nasal syllable + dre: (-endre, -eindre, -oindre) |
Examples:
prendre (to take) |
peindre (to paint) |
joindre (to join) |
je prends |
je peins |
je joins |
tu prends |
tu peins |
tu joins |
il (elle, on) prend |
il (elle, on) peint |
il (elle, on) joint |
nous prenons |
nous peignons |
nous joignons |
vous prenez |
vous peignez |
vous joignez |
ils (elles) prennent |
ils (elles) peignent |
ils (elles) joignent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -illir: |
Examples:
cueillir (to gather) |
assaillir (to assault) |
bouillir (to boil) |
je cueille |
j'assaille |
je bous |
tu cueilles |
tu assailles |
tu bous |
il (elle, on) cueille |
il (elle, on) assaille |
il (elle, on) bout |
nous cueillons |
nous assaillons |
nous bouillons |
vous cueillez |
vous assaillez |
vous bouillez |
ils (elles) cueillent |
ils (elles) assaillent |
ils (elles) bouillent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -consonant + ir, where the consonant disappears with je, tu, and il-elle-on. |
Examples:
dormir (to sleep) |
servir (to serve) |
partir (to leave) |
je dors |
je sers |
je pars |
tu dors |
tu sers |
tu pars |
il (elle, on) dort |
il (elle, on) sert |
il (elle, on) part |
nous dormons |
nous servons |
nous partons |
vous dormez |
vous servez |
vous partez |
ils (elles) dorment |
ils (elles) servent |
ils (elles) partent |
3rd Group - The irregular verbs tenir, venir: |
Examples:
tenir (to hold) |
venir (to come) |
je tiens |
je viens |
tu tiens |
tu viens |
il (elle, on) tient |
il (elle, on) vient |
nous tenons |
nous venons |
vous tenez |
vous venez |
ils (elles) tiennent |
ils (elles) viennent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -quérir: |
Examples:
acquérir (to acquire) |
requérir (to require) |
conquérir (to conquer) |
j'acquiers |
je requiers |
je conquiers |
tu acquiers |
tu requiers |
tu conquiers |
il (elle, on) acquiert |
il (elle, on) requiert |
il (elle, on) conquiert |
nous acquérons |
nous requérons |
nous conquérons |
vous acquérez |
vous requérez |
vous conquérez |
ils (elles) acquièrent |
ils (elles) requièrent |
ils (elles) conquièrent |
3rd Group - The irregular verbs mourir, courir, and their derivatives: |
Examples:
mourir (to die) |
courir (to run) |
parcourir (to travel a distance) |
secourir (to rescue) |
je meurs |
je cours |
je parcours |
je secours |
tu meurs |
tu cours |
tu parcours |
tu secours |
il (elle, on) meurt |
il (elle, on) court |
il (elle, on) parcourt |
il (elle, on) secourt |
nous mourons |
nous courons |
nous parcourons |
nous secourons |
vous mourez |
vous courez |
vous parcourez |
vous secourez |
ils (elles) meurent |
ils (elles) courent |
ils (elles) parcourent |
ils (elles) secourent |
3rd Group - Irregular verbs ending in -cevoir: |
Examples:
concevoir (to conceive / to design) |
décevoir (to dissapoint) |
recevoir (to receive) |
je conçois |
je déçois |
je reçois |
tu conçois |
tu déçois |
tu reçois |
il (elle, on) conçoit |
il (elle, on) déçoit |
il (elle, on) reçoit |
nous concevons |
nous décevons |
nous recevons |
vous concevez |
vous décevez |
vous recevez |
ils (elles) conçoivent |
ils (elles) déçoivent |
ils (elles) reçoivent |