Present tense of verbs ending in -ER in French

Present Tense of Verbs Ending in -ER in French

In French, verbs ending in -ER are the largest group of regular verbs and are called first-group verbs (les verbes du premier groupe). These verbs follow a consistent pattern in the present tense, making them relatively easy to conjugate.

1. Conjugation Pattern

To conjugate regular -ER verbs in the present tense:

  1. Remove the -ER ending from the infinitive to find the stem (radical).
    • Example: parler (to speak) → parl-
  2. Add the appropriate ending based on the subject pronoun:
Subject PronounEndingExample with “parler”
je (I)-eje parle (I speak)
tu (you, informal)-estu parles (you speak)
il/elle/on (he/she/one)-eil parle (he speaks)
nous (we)-onsnous parlons (we speak)
vous (you, formal/plural)-ezvous parlez (you speak)
ils/elles (they)-entils parlent (they speak)

2. Common Examples of -ER Verbs

Here are some frequently used -ER verbs:

  • aimer (to love, like)
  • manger (to eat)
  • travailler (to work)
  • jouer (to play)
  • chanter (to sing)

3. Examples in Sentences

  • Je mange une pomme. (I am eating an apple.)
  • Tu joues au football. (You are playing football.)
  • Elle travaille à l’école. (She works at the school.)
  • Nous aimons voyager. (We love traveling.)
  • Vous parlez trop vite. (You speak too fast.)
  • Ils chantent une belle chanson. (They are singing a beautiful song.)

4. Spelling Changes in Certain Verbs

Some -ER verbs undergo slight spelling changes to preserve pronunciation.

  1. Verbs with stems ending in -G:
    Add an e before -ons in the nous form to soften the “g” sound.
    • manger → nous mangeons (we eat)
    • nager → nous nageons (we swim)
  2. Verbs with stems ending in -C:
    Add a cedilla (ç) before -ons in the nous form to keep the “s” sound.
    • commencer → nous commençons (we start)

5. Usage of the Present Tense

In French, the present tense can express:

  1. An ongoing action:
    • Je parle maintenant. (I am speaking now.)
  2. A habitual action:
    • Nous étudions chaque jour. (We study every day.)
  3. A general truth:
    • L’eau bout à 100 degrés. (Water boils at 100 degrees.)

Tips for Mastery

  • Memorize the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent for regular -ER verbs.
  • Practice with common verbs and create sentences for each subject pronoun.
  • Watch out for verbs with slight spelling changes like manger or commencer.

Mastering the conjugation of -ER verbs in the present tense will provide a solid foundation for communication in French, as these verbs are widely used in everyday conversation.

You can take the multiple-choice quiz.

Conjugate the verb forms ending in -ER in the present tense.

 

#1. Mes frères ………… (acheter) une voiture ensemble pour leurs études.

#2. Les employés ……….. (parler) très fort en attendant le directeur.

#3. Je ……….. (manger) des pâtes tous les jours.

#4. Vous …………. (regarder) quelles émissions à la télévision ?

#5. Lucas se ……….. (doucher) chaque matin.

#6. Mon amie et moi ………. (rigoler) dans la rue.

#7. Fanny et Julien ………… (aller) à la plage ce weekend.

#8. Mon directeur me ……….. (téléphoner) pour me dire une bonne nouvelle.

#9. Vous ……….. (porter) un pull bleu ? Il est magnifique.

#10. Les enfants ……….. (jouer) dans le salon.

#11. Nous ………… (fermer) la porte, car il fait froid.

#12. Le garagiste …………. (réparer) la voiture cassée.

#13. Je ……….. (passer) mes vacances à la campagne.

#14. Patrice ………. (casser) une assiette.

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Present tense: Irregular verbs in French