regular -re verbs
French verbs that end in “re” also follow a regular pattern for their conjugation in the present tense and the passé composé. A good example is the verb “vendre,” which means “to sell.”
Regular -re verb endings
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| je | -s |
| tu | -s |
| il/elle/on | (no ending, just the stem) |
| nous | -ons |
| vous | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ent |
“vendre” conjugated
present tense:
je vends
tu vends
il/elle/on vend
nous vendons
vous vendez
ils/elles vendent
In the passé composé, these verbs use the auxiliary verb “avoir” plus the past participle, which is formed by replacing “re” with “u.”
passé composé:
j’ai vendu
tu as vendu
il/elle/on a vendu
nous avons vendu
vous avez vendu
ils/elles ont vendu
Examples using “vendre”
Je vends ma voiture.
I am selling my car.
Tu vends beaucoup de livres.
You sell many books.
Il vend ses tableaux dans une galerie.
He sells his paintings in a gallery.
Nous vendons notre maison.
We are selling our house.
Vous vendez ces produits en ligne ?
Do you sell these products online?
Elles vendent des fleurs au marché.
They sell flowers at the market.
J’ai vendu mon vélo hier.
I sold my bike yesterday.
Tu as vendu ta vieille guitare ?
Did you sell your old guitar?
Nous avons vendu tout le stock.
We sold all the stock.
Examples of other -re verbs
Attendre (to wait)
J’attends le bus.
I am waiting for the bus.
Ils attendent leurs amis.
They are waiting for their friends.
Nous avons attendu une heure.
We waited for an hour.
Répondre (to answer)
Elle répond toujours poliment.
She always answers politely.
Avez-vous répondu à la question ?
Did you answer the question?
Perdre (to lose)
Je perds souvent mes clés.
I often lose my keys.
Les enfants perdent leurs jouets.
The children lose their toys.
Entendre (to hear)
Il entend un bruit bizarre.
He hears a strange noise.
As-tu entendu la nouvelle ?
Did you hear the news?
Rendre (to give back)
Tu rends le livre demain ?
Are you giving the book back tomorrow?
Nous rendons visite à nos parents.
We are visiting our parents.
Most frequently used regular -re verbs
- vendre (to sell)
- attendre (to wait)
- entendre (to hear)
- répondre (to answer)
- perdre (to lose)
- rendre (to give back, to return)
- défendre (to defend, to forbid)
- descendre (to go down, to get off)
- fondre (to melt)
- mordre (to bite)
- prétendre (to claim)
- répandre (to spread)
- tendre (to stretch, to tighten, to hand)
- dépendre (to depend)
All of these follow the same pattern as “vendre” in the present tense and the passé composé.
