Grammar: Present tense, regular

The present tense in French covers three different tenses in English. If you take the verb “to speak,” the French present tense covers these three meanings:

  1. I speak
  2. I am speaking
  3. I do speak

Regular -er verbs endings

  1. -e
  2. -es
  3. -e
  4. -ons
  5. -ez
  6. -ent

Regular -er verbs conjugation example:

Parler – to speak

  1. je parle (I speak)
  2. tu parles (you speak [informal singular])
  3. il parle (he speaks)
  4. nous parlons (we speak)
  5. vous parlez (you speak [formal singular, formal plural or informal plural])
  6. ils parlent (they speak)

Donner – to give

  1. je donne
  2. tu donnes
  3. il donne
  4. nous donnons
  5. vous donnez
  6. ils donnent

Regular -ir verbs

Regular -ir verb endings:

  1. -s
  2. -s
  3. -t
  4. -ssons
  5. -ssez
  6. -ssent

Regular -ir verbs conjugation example

Finir – to finish

  1. je finis
  2. tu finis
  3. il finit
  4. nous finissons
  5. vous finissez
  6. ils finissent

Regular -re verbs

Regular -re verb endings

  1. -s
  2. -s
  3. -ons
  4. -ez
  5. -ent

Regular -re verbs conjugation example

Attendre – to wait, to wait for, to await

  1. j’attends
  2. tu attends
  3. il attend
  4. nous attendons
  5. vous attendez
  6. ils attendent

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