French Conjugation: Present Tense Charts for 21 Common Verbs

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French conjugation is how a verb changes to match its subject, tense, and mood. This guide focuses on the present tense, where endings and sometimes stems change.

For example, think of the verb “to speak”, which in French is parler. In English, the verb is the same whether it’s I speak, you speak, or they speak.

In French, the verb changes:

• Je parle – “I speak”
• Tu parles – “You speak”
• Ils parlent – “They speak”.

We have conjugation in English because our verb endings change, too. For example, you don’t say “she speak”; you say “she speaks”.

Each chart below follows the same subject order. If je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, and ils/elles are new to you, review these French subject pronouns first.

When you’re learning these French conjugations as a native English speaker, it can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to be.

French Conjugation Can Be Easy

Do you find French conjugation scary? If yes, you are not alone. Many learners think the same, especially in the beginning.

When I was a secondary school student learning French, it seemed impossible to learn how to conjugate the most basic verbs, let alone master French conjugation.

Even so, I decided to study languages at university. I lived in France and Belgium, and ended up teaching French to people from all over the world.

Today, I speak French on a daily basis.

The conjugations that scared me so much come naturally to me now. If I could go back in time and apply the knowledge I have today, I would have become fluent sooner.

So instead, I’ll share it with you!

Editor's note: Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online French course, here’s the course we recommend: French Uncovered – Learn French Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by Olly Richards. You can try it for free for 7 days!

The 3 Groups of French Verbs

To understand French conjugation, it helps to know the three official verb groups:

• First-group verbs: verbs ending in -er, except aller. Many use the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent, though spelling or stem adjustments appear in verbs such as manger and appeler.
• Second-group verbs: -ir verbs whose present participle ends in -issant, such as finir and choisir. Their plural present-tense forms end in -issons, -issez, and -issent.
• Third-group verbs: all remaining verbs, including aller and verbs such as venir and faire. Many are irregular, but some form smaller families with reusable patterns.

Regular verbs follow a model you can reuse. Irregular verbs do not follow that whole-group model, although some share patterns with related verbs.

Compare the regular verb parler (“to speak”) with the irregular verb être (“to be”):

Parler (regular verb)	Être (irregular verb)
je parle	je suis
tu parles	tu es
il/elle parle	il/elle est
nous parlons	nous sommes
vous parlez	vous êtes
ils/elles parlent	ils/elles sont

Parler keeps the stem parl- and adds the first-group endings. Être changes more dramatically, so its present-tense forms need to be learned as a set.

Is French Conjugation Hard?

There is a useful pattern here, but also a catch.

First-group verbs are by far the most numerous. Learning their six common present-tense endings gives you a strong base.

For example, parler (“to speak”) belongs to the first group. Most first-group verbs use the same endings in the present tense. Spelling and stem adjustments still appear, though, as manger and appeler show below.

The catch is that several everyday French verbs belong to the third group, so you also need to learn their individual patterns.

Think of everyday English verbs such as “to have”, “to go”, “to come”, and “to do”. Their French equivalents, avoir, aller, venir, and faire, all belong to the third group.

Learning a core set of common verbs helps you understand more sentences sooner and gives you useful building blocks for speaking.

21 Common French Verbs in the Present Tense

Let’s conjugate 21 common verbs together. This is a practical starter set, not a frequency ranking. We’ll begin with first-group verbs, move to the second group, and finish with third-group verbs.

1. Parler (“To Speak”)

Suffixes for 1st group verbs	Conjugation	Translation
-e	Je parle	I speak
-es	Tu parles	You speak
-e	Il/elle parle	He/she speaks
-ons	Nous parlons	We speak
-ez	Vous parlez	You speak
-ent	Ils/elles parlent	They speak

Example sentence: Je parle français. (“I speak French.”)

Note: Parler is a first-group verb. To form its present tense, remove -er and add the ending for the subject shown in the chart.

2. Penser (“To Think”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je pense	I think	1st
Tu penses	You think
Il/elle pense	He/she thinks
Nous pensons	We think
Vous pensez	You think
Ils/elles pensent	They think

Example sentence: Tu penses à quoi? (“What are you thinking of?”)

Note: Penser is also a first group verb so we conjugate it the same way as parler, using the same endings.

3. Aimer (“To Like” / “To Love”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
J’aime	I like	1st
Tu aimes	You like
Il/elle aime	He/she likes
Nous aimons	We like
Vous aimez	You like
Ils/elles aiment	They like

Example sentence: Il aime sa famille. (“He loves his family.”)

Note: When je comes before a verb beginning with a vowel or mute h, its e is elided: j’aime, not je aime.

4. Regarder (“To Watch”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je regarde	I watch	1st
Tu regardes	You watch
Il/elle regarde	He/she watches
Nous regardons	We watch
Vous regardez	You watch
Ils regardent	They watch

Example sentence: Vous regardez la télé tous les jours. (“You watch TV every day.”)

5. Appeler (“To Call”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
J’appelle	I call	1st
Tu appelles	You call
Il/elle appelle	He/she calls
Nous appelons	We call
Vous appelez	You call
Ils/elles appellent	They call

Example sentence: Ma mère m’appelle. (“My mother is calling me.”)

Note: You already know this verb. How? Think of the first sentence you’ve learned in French. It’s probably je m’appelle. Although it is used as “my name is,” its literal meaning is “I call myself.” Makes sense right?

6. Donner (“To Give”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je donne	I give	1st
Tu donnes	You give
Il/elle donne	He/she gives
Nous donnons	We give
Vous donnez	You give
Ils/elles donnent	They give

Example: Je donne le livre à ma sœur. (“I give the book to my sister.”)

7. Aider (“To Help”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
J’aide	I help	1st
Tu aides	You help
Il/elle aide	He/she helps
Nous aidons	We help
Vous aidez	You help
Ils/elles aident	They help

Example: J’aide mon ami. (“I help my friend.”)

Note: Here’s a memory trick for aider: connect it with English “aid”. The English word came through Anglo-French and Old French, and ultimately from Latin.

8. Manger (“To Eat”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je mange	I eat	1st
Tu manges	You eat
Il/elle mange	He/she eats
Nous mangeons	We eat
Vous mangez	You eat
Ils/elles mangent	They eat

Example: Je mange trop de sucre. (“I eat too much sugar.”)

Note: French spelling and pronunciation do not match one-to-one, so written endings can look different while sounding the same.

Now look at nous mangeons. The extra e keeps the g soft, as it is in the other present-tense forms.

9. Habiter (“To Live”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
J’habite	I live	1st
Tu habites	You live
Il/elle habite	He/she lives
Nous habitons	We live
Vous habitez	You live
Ils/elles habitent	They live

Example: Elle habite à Paris. (“She lives in Paris.”)

Note: French has two types of initial h: mute and aspirated. The mute h in habiter allows elision, so we say j’habite and not je habite. An aspirated h is also generally silent, but it blocks elision.

10. Finir (“To Finish”)

Suffixes for 2nd group verbs	Conjugation	Translation
-is	Je finis	I finish
-is	Tu finis	You finish
-it	Il/elle finit	He/she finishes
-issons	Nous finissons	We finish
-issez	Vous finissez	You finish
-issent	Ils/elles finissent	They finish

Example: Elles finissent dans dix minutes. (“They finish in ten minutes.”)

Note: You can recognise a second-group -ir verb by its present participle in -issant, as in finissant. Remove -ir and add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, or -issent.

11. Choisir (“To Choose”)

Conjugation	Translation	Group
Je choisis	I choose	2nd
Tu choisis	You choose
Il/elle choisit	He/she chooses
Nous choisissons	We choose
Vous choisissez	You choose
Ils/elles choisissent	They choose

Example: Je choisis la deuxième option. (“I choose the second option.”)

Note: Choisir belongs to the second group as well so it has the same endings as finir.

12. Être (“To Be”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je suis	I am	3rd
Tu es	You are
Il/elle est	He/she is
Nous sommes	We are
Vous êtes	You are
Ils/elles sont	They are

Example sentence: Je suis malade. (“I am sick.”)

Note: Although être is irregular, it is worth learning well because it also becomes an auxiliary when you study compound tenses.

13. Avoir (“To Have”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
J’ai	I have	3rd
Tu as	You have
Il/elle a	He/she has
Nous avons	We have
Vous avez	You have
Ils/elles ont	They have

Example sentence: J’ai 25 ans. (“I am 25 years old.”)

Tip: Don’t forget that we use the verb avoir, not être to talk about our age in French. You’re literally saying “I have 25 years” instead of “I am 25 years old.”

14. Aller (“To Go”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je vais	I go	3rd
Tu vas	You go
Il/elle va	He/she goes
Nous allons	We go
Vous allez	You go
Ils/elles vont	They go

Example sentence: Mon frère va à l’école. (“My brother goes to school.”)

Tip: Aller is a tricky verb. Although it ends with -er, it is an irregular verb and it belongs to the third group. You can see that its conjugation is very different from first group verbs.

15. Venir (“To Come”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je viens	I come	3rd
Tu viens	You come
Il/elle vient	He/she comes
Nous venons	We come
Vous venez	You come
Ils/elles viennent	They come

Example sentence: Tu viens du sud. (“You come from the south.”)

Note: Like aller, venir belongs to the third group. Its -ir ending does not make it a second-group verb.

16. Faire (“To Do” / “To Make”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je fais	I do/make	3rd
Tu fais	You do/make
Il/elle fait	He/she does/makes
Nous faisons	We do/make
Vous faites	You do/make
Ils/elles font	They do/make

Example sentence: Je fais du sport tous les jours. (“I exercise every day.”)

Note: Faire has its own pattern: fais, fais, fait in the singular, then faisons, faites, and font. The vous form faites is especially worth memorising because it does not end in -ez.

17. Vouloir (“To Want”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je veux	I want	3rd
Tu veux	You want
Il/elle veut	He/she wants
Nous voulons	We want
Vous voulez	You want
Ils/elles veulent	They want

Example sentence: Il veut beaucoup de cadeaux pour son anniversaire. (“He wants a lot of presents for his birthday.”)

18. Pouvoir (“To Be Able To” / “Can”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je peux	I can	3rd
Tu peux	You can
Il/elle peut	He/she can
Nous pouvons	We can
Vous pouvez	You can
Ils/elles peuvent	They can

Example sentence: Je peux parler français. (“I can speak French.”)

Note: Je peux is the usual first-person form in everyday statements. The alternative je puis survives mainly in formal writing and in inversion, as in Puis-je…?

19. Savoir (“To Know”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je sais	I know	3rd
Tu sais	You know
Il/elle sait	He/she knows
Nous savons	We know
Vous savez	You know
Ils/elles savent	They know

Example sentence: Je ne sais pas. (“I don’t know.”)

Note: Vouloir, pouvoir, and savoir share some present-tense endings, but their stems differ. Learn each full set, then use the repeated endings as memory clues.

20. Voir (“To See”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je vois	I see	3rd
Tu vois	You see
Il/elle voit	He/she sees
Nous voyons	We see
Vous voyez	You see
Ils/elles voient	They see

Example sentence: Je vois une voiture devant le supermarché. (“I see a car in front of the supermarket.”)

21. Prendre (“To Take”)

Conjugation	Translation	Verb group
Je prends	I take	3rd
Tu prends	You take
Il/elle prend	He/she takes
Nous prenons	We take
Vous prenez	You take
Ils/elles prennent	They take

Example sentence: Vous prenez le bus à 10 h. (“You take the bus at 10 o’clock.”)

Note: In French, there are many important verbs that derive from prendre. Comprendre, for example, means “to understand.” You would conjugate it the same way as prendre.

How to Make Negative Sentences in French Present Tense

The most common way to make a negative sentence in French is to use the words ne and pas. The verb would go in the middle of these two words. If you check example 19, you will see the negation in action: je ne sais pas (“I don’t know”).

Here are some other ways to form negative sentences in French:

Negative words	Meaning	Example	Translation
ne … pas	not	Je ne parle pas.	I don't speak.
ne … rien	nothing / not anything	Tu ne fais rien.	You don't do anything.
ne … personne	nobody / not anybody	Elle ne voit personne.	She doesn't see anyone.
ne … jamais	never / not ever	Vous ne fumez jamais.	You never smoke.
ne … plus	no longer / not anymore	Il n'est plus là.	He's not here anymore.

The full ne … pattern is the safe choice in writing and careful speech. In everyday conversation, speakers often drop ne, so you may hear Je sais pas. Learn the full form first, then notice the shorter spoken version.

French Pronunciation Tips for Verbs

Correct spelling matters, especially in writing. Pronunciation matters too, and some written differences disappear in speech.

Let’s explain by using the verb parler again. As we just covered, the present tense conjugations for the verb parler are je parle, tu parles, il/elle parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils/elles parlent.

In je parle, tu parles, il/elle parle, and ils/elles parlent, the verb sounds the same. Nous parlons and vous parlez sound different. This is one reason why speaking French is easier than you might think.

In everyday spoken French, on often replaces nous and takes a third-person singular verb: on parle. Nous parlons remains normal in more formal speech and writing, and on can also mean “one” or “people”, so context matters.

French Conjugation Tips

Benny Lewis uses one question to decide how much grammar to study: will it help you communicate right now? This short post shows how he applies that idea to verb conjugations.

Start With Common Verbs

Common verbs give you building blocks you can use straight away. You will also meet them often enough for the practice to pay off.

Look for Patterns

Even irregular verbs share some ending patterns. For example, vous ends in -ez in many present-tense forms. Important exceptions such as vous faites are why it still helps to check the full verb.

Try identifying these patterns so that you’ll spend less time finding the right conjugation for each verb.

Practise Before You Feel Ready

Speak before you are completely certain that every ending is right. If a form slips your mind, rephrase the sentence and keep the conversation moving.

By speaking with other French speakers, you will practise conjugation in real sentences.

This quick video shows another way to stop complex grammar from delaying a conversation.

Listen to French Songs and Watch French Films

Besides building vocabulary, songs and films let you hear conjugated verbs in context. You can enjoy some French songs while you listen for forms you recognise.

Use Different Techniques to Study

Try different techniques and keep the ones that help you recall and use the verbs. You might write them on flashcards, read them aloud, or practise them in a language-learning app.

You do not need to fit yourself into one fixed “learning style”. I personally find writing and speaking useful, but the test is whether a technique helps you remember and use the verb.

You Know the French Present Tense Basics. What’s Next?

Once you’re confident conjugating aller, venir, avoir, and être, plus a handful of common verbs, you can move on to futur proche (near future) or passé composé (present perfect or simple past, depending on context).

That gives you a manageable next step without needing every French tense at once.

Bonne chance! (“Good luck!”)

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