Here are the 19 most frequently used irregular verbs in French. Since these 19 verbs are irregular, the way they are conjugated doesn’t follow the rules of regular verbs. (Conjugation: using the appropriate spellings of the verb to match I, you, he/she/it/one/etc, we, you and they).
If you’re wondering why such frequently used verbs are also so irregular, it is because verbs that are used more frequently tend to undergo more changes over the centuries. Less frequently used verbs experience fewer changes, and so tend to follow regular conjugation patterns.
Verbs at the top of this list are more frequently used than verbs at the bottom of this list. So focus on learning the first nine (9) verbs at the top of the list before working on the later ones. These are être, avoir, faire, aller, venir, devoir, pouvoir, vouloir and savoir.
Intermediate topics:
Notice that the “they” form (ils) of the first four irregular verbs end in “-ont.” “Être” is “ils sont,” “avoir” is “ils ont,” “faire” is “ils font,” and “aller” is “ils vont.” These are the only verbs in French ending in “ont” in the “ils” form.
Notice also that the “vous” forms of “être,” “faire,” and “dire” do NOT end in “-ez” like all other verbs in French (eg vous avez, vous allez, etc). Instead they end in “-tes.” So “you are” is “vous êtes,” “you do” is “vous faites” and “you say” is “vous dites.” These are the only three verbs in the French language where the “vous” form ends in “-tes.”
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