Present Tense
Regular conjugation (-er, -ir, -re) and common irregular verbs
In many languages the verb doesn't change with the person, so the most common present-tense mistake is: dropping the infinitive straight into the sentence (je parler ❌), or slapping the same ending on all six persons. In French, when the person changes, the ending changes.
💡 Intuition: for -er verbs, the four endings je/tu/il/ils (-e / -es / -e / -ent) are all silent and sound exactly the same [paʁl]; the only ones you actually "hear" are nous(-ons) and vous(-ez). In dictation, don't be fooled by the sound — write every ending in full, even when you hear nothing.
Regular verb conjugation
Group 1: -er (most common, about 90% of verbs)
Take parler (to speak):
| Person | Conjugation | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| je | parle | -e |
| tu | parles | -es |
| il/elle/on | parle | -e |
| nous | parlons | -ons |
| vous | parlez | -ez |
| ils/elles | parlent | -ent |
Memory tip: the je/tu/il/ils endings all sound the same (all [paʁl]); only nous/vous differ.
Group 2: -ir
Take finir (to finish):
| Person | Conjugation | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | -is |
| tu | finis | -is |
| il/elle/on | finit | -it |
| nous | finissons | -issons |
| vous | finissez | -issez |
| ils/elles | finissent | -issent |
Group 3: -re
Take vendre (to sell):
| Person | Conjugation | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| je | vends | -s |
| tu | vends | -s |
| il/elle/on | vend | — |
| nous | vendons | -ons |
| vous | vendez | -ez |
| ils/elles | vendent | -ent |
⚠️ The nastiest one: spelling tweaks in -er verbs
A batch of -er verbs look "regular" yet quietly change their stem spelling on every person except nous/vous — a regular guest in TCF dictation and multiple-choice items. The rule is a single line: the spelling changes to preserve the sound.
| Infinitive | Change | je / il form | nous form (unchanged) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| préférer | é → è | je préfère | nous préférons | the stress shifts to the ending; é can't carry it, so it becomes è |
| acheter | e → è | j'achète | nous achetons | the silent e is now stressed, so it turns into a pronounceable è |
| appeler | l → ll | j'appelle | nous appelons | doubling the l makes the preceding e sound like [ɛ] |
| manger | +e (nous only) | il mange | nous mangeons | the added e keeps g soft [ʒ] |
| commencer | c → ç (nous only) | il commence | nous commençons | the cedilla keeps c soft [s] |
🔑 The first three change on je/tu/il/ils (nous/vous stay regular); manger / commencer are the opposite, changing only on nous. Don't get the direction backwards.
Essential irregular verbs
être (to be)
| je suis | nous sommes |
|---|---|
| tu es | vous êtes |
| il/elle est | ils/elles sont |
avoir (to have)
| j'ai | nous avons |
|---|---|
| tu as | vous avez |
| il/elle a | ils/elles ont |
aller (to go)
| je vais | nous allons |
|---|---|
| tu vas | vous allez |
| il/elle va | ils/elles vont |
faire (to do / make)
| je fais | nous faisons |
|---|---|
| tu fais | vous faites |
| il/elle fait | ils/elles font |
pouvoir (can) / vouloir (to want) / devoir (must)
| pouvoir | vouloir | devoir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | peux | veux | dois |
| tu | peux | veux | dois |
| il | peut | veut | doit |
| nous | pouvons | voulons | devons |
| vous | pouvez | voulez | devez |
| ils | peuvent | veulent | doivent |
The present also expresses "action in progress" — French has no separate progressive tense
English splits I eat (simple present) and I am eating (present continuous); French has no matching separate progressive tense — one present covers both.
- Je mange. = I eat / I am eating (context tells you which)
- Je travaille à Paris. I work in Paris (habitual)
- Chut, je travaille ! Shh, I'm working (right now)
To really stress "in progress right now" → être en train de + infinitive
- Je suis en train de manger. I'm eating (can't step away)
- Il est en train de travailler. He's busy, don't disturb him
- For the past "was ...-ing" → use the imparfait (je mangeais) or j'étais en train de manger.
⚠️ The biggest trap: don't calque "I am eating" as être + present participle
| What you want to say | Idiomatic form |
|---|---|
| I eat / I am eating | Je mange. (présent covers both) |
| stress the action in progress | Je suis en train de manger. |
| ❌ English-style calque | |
| eating while watching TV | Il mange en regardant la télé. (gérondif) |
| past, in progress | Je mangeais / J'étais en train de manger. |
The legitimate use of -ant (present participle): only in en + present participle = gérondif, meaning "while… / by…," not a progressive: Il mange en regardant la télé. (He eats while watching TV.)
🔑 In one line: the present covers both simple and progressive; to stress "in progress" use en train de; the French progressive is never être + -ant.
💡 Fun fact: the train in
en train deisn't "train" (railway) but its older sense — from the verb traîner (to drag, to pull), meaning "motion, the course of an action." The railway train (a string of cars dragged along) is only a 19th-century offshoot. So the "in progress" meaning predates the train; using the railway to remember it is just a handy association.