French Verb Conjugation Guide

This guide gives a clear overview of how to conjugate French verbs in the most common tenses. Whether youre a beginner or need a quick reference, the tables and examples below will help you master French verb patterns.

1. Why Conjugation Matters

In French, the verb changes to show who is performing the action (the subject) and when the action occurs (the tense). Unlike English, French verbs carry a lot of information within a single word, so learning the patterns is essential for speaking and writing correctly.

2. Regular Verb Groups

French regular verbs fall into three groups, identified by the ending of their infinitive:

-er (e.g., parler to speak)
-ir (e.g., finir to finish)
-re (e.g., vendre to sell)

2.1 Present Tense (Prsent)

Remove the infinitive ending and add the present endings.

-er verbs (parler)

Subject	Ending	Conjugated Form
je	-e	je parle
tu	-es	tu parles
il/elle/on	-e	il parle
nous	-ons	nous parlons
vous	-ez	vous parlez
ils/elles	-ent	ils parlent

-ir verbs (finir)

Subject	Ending	Conjugated Form
je	-is	je finis
tu	-is	tu finis
il/elle/on	-it	il finit
nous	-issons	nous finissons
vous	-issez	vous finissez
ils/elles	-issent	ils finissent

-re verbs (vendre)

Subject	Ending	Conjugated Form
je	-s	je vends
tu	-s	tu vends
il/elle/on	-	il vend
nous	-ons	nous vendons
vous	-ez	vous vendez
ils/elles	-ent	ils vendent

Example: Nous parlons franais. (We speak French.)

2.2 Pass Compos (Compound Past)

Formed with the auxiliary verb avoir (or tre for a few verbs) + past participle.

Past participles

-er - (parler parl)
-ir -i (finir fini)
-re -u (vendre vendu)

Conjugation of avoir in the present:

Subject	Avoir
j'	ai
tu	as
il/elle/on	a
nous	avons
vous	avez
ils/elles	ont

Example with parler:

Jai parl avec le professeur. (I spoke with the teacher.)

2.3 Future Simple (Futur Simple)

To form the future, keep the infinitive (or a slightly modified stem) and add the same endings for all three groups.

Ending	Example with parler
-ai	je parlerai
-as	tu parleras
-a	il parlera
-ons	nous parlerons
-ez	vous parlerez
-ont	ils parleront

Irregular stems (e.g., tre ser-, avoir aur-, aller ir-) follow the same endings.

3. Common Irregular Verbs

Some of the most frequently used verbs do not follow regular patterns. Below are the present tense conjugations for a few essential irregular verbs.

3.1 tre (to be)

Subject	tre
je	suis
tu	es
il/elle/on	est
nous	sommes
vous	tes
ils/elles	sont

3.2 Avoir (to have)

Subject	Avoir
je	ai
tu	as
il/elle/on	a
nous	avons
vous	avez
ils/elles	ont

3.3 Aller (to go)

Subject	Aller
je	vais
tu	vas
il/elle/on	va
nous	allons
vous	allez
ils/elles	vont

4. Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs use a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb.

Present example with se laver (to wash oneself)

Subject	Conjugation
je	me lave
tu	te laves
il/elle/on	se lave
nous	nous lavons
vous	vous lavez
ils/elles	se lavent

In compound tenses (pass compos), reflexive verbs use tre as the auxiliary.

5. Tips for Mastering Conjugation

Learn the endings first. Once you know the pattern, you can apply it to any regular verb.
Group verbs mentally. Seeing the infinitive ending tells you which set of endings to use.
Practice with common irregulars. Focus on tre, avoir, aller, faire, dire, pouvoir, vouloir and their principal tenses.
Use spaced repetition. Flashcards (physical or apps) help cement forms in longterm memory.
Listen and repeat. Hearing the correct pronunciation reinforces the spelling and the conjugation.

6. Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Copy this table for a handy printable guide:

Verb	Infinitive	Prsent (je)	Pass Compos (j')	Futur Simple (je)
to speak	parler	parle	ai parl	parlerai
to finish	finir	finis	ai fini	finirai
to sell	vendre	vends	ai vendu	vendrai
to be	tre	suis	ai t	serai
to have	avoir	ai	ai eu	aurai
to go	aller	vais	suivi suis all(e)	irai