French Grammar #6: Elision
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French Grammar #9: Present Tense of First-Group Regular Verbs
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Unlike English, French verbs require conjugation. Among them, the most fundamental are the first-group regular verbs, known as -er verbs. By understanding their regular conjugation patterns, you will be able to construct a wide variety of sentences.
In this lesson, we will learn the conjugation rules of first-group verbs in the present tense, with the goal of mastering how to form correct sentences.
Contents
1. What Are First-Group Regular Verbs?
French verbs are divided into three groups, and the first group is the largest. These are verbs whose infinitive form ends in -er. Because they conjugate according to consistent rules, they are the easiest group for beginners to learn.
Conjugation Rules
The present tense of first-group verbs is formed by adding the appropriate ending to the verb stem, depending on the subject.
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| je | -e |
| tu | -es |
| il/elle/on | -e |
| nous | -ons |
| vous | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ent |
The stem remains unchanged for all subjects.
The ending -ent for ils/elles is not pronounced. For example, je parle and ils parlent are pronounced the same.
2. Basic Conjugation Pattern
To conjugate a first-group verb, simply remove -er from the infinitive, then add the subject-specific ending. Because of their high regularity, once you learn the pattern of one verb, you can apply it to many others.
3. Pronunciation of ils/elles Forms
In the third-person plural (ils/elles), verbs take the ending -ent. However, this ending is silent. Thus, different conjugated forms may be spelled differently but sound the same:
| Subject | Conjugated Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | aime | [ɛm] |
| tu | aimes | [ɛm] |
| il/elle/on | aime | [ɛm] |
| nous | aimons | [ɛmɔ̃] |
| vous | aimez | [eme] |
| ils/elles | aiment | [ɛm] |
This is why French generally does not allow omission of the subject pronoun: the verb form alone does not always indicate who the subject is.
- Ils aiment le chocolat. (They like chocolate.)
- Elle aime le chocolat. (She likes chocolate.)
→ aime and aiment are pronounced the same, so the subject must be explicitly stated.
4. Special Spelling Changes: -ger and -cer Verbs
Some first-group verbs undergo small spelling adjustments to preserve pronunciation. The most common are -ger verbs and -cer verbs. These changes occur mainly in the nous form.
4-1. -ger Verbs (Example: manger = to eat)
The stem is mang-, but in the nous form an e is inserted.
| Subject | Conjugated Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| je | mange | Regular |
| tu | manges | Regular |
| il/elle/on | mange | Regular |
| nous | mangeons | -eons to preserve pronunciation |
| vous | mangez | Regular |
| ils/elles | mangent | Regular |
4-2. -cer Verbs (Example: commencer = to begin)
The stem is commenc-, but in the nous form, the c changes to ç.
| Subject | Conjugated Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| je | commence | Regular |
| tu | commences | Regular |
| il/elle/on | commence | Regular |
| nous | commençons | c → ç |
| vous | commencez | Regular |
| ils/elles | commencent | Regular |
5. Summary
- First-group regular verbs (-er verbs) are the most fundamental verb group in French.
- To conjugate, remove -er from the infinitive and add endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
- The -ent ending for ils/elles is not pronounced.
- Special spelling changes occur in -ger and -cer verbs, but the basic rules remain the same.
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