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.”
The french tell time in two ways. The common way for everyday speech. And the official way for timetables, tv guides, and train schedules. the 12-hour clock For ordinary life, the french use the 12-hour clock like english speakers do. But they say things a little differently. To ask the time, you say: To answer,…
If your French is grammatically correct but sounds translated, pouvoir may be part of the problem. English uses “can” for many different purposes, including ability, permission, possibility and requests. French uses several different expressions instead. Using pouvoir whenever you would use “can” can therefore make your French sound unnatural. Here are some common cases and…
Colours in French are adjectives. They are placed after the noun they describe. So a blue sky is “un ciel bleu.” They must also agree in number and gender with the noun they describe. So “purple flowers” would be “des fleurs violettes.” Colour Masculine Feminine black noir noire white blanc blanche red rouge rouge blue…
In French, the words “un” and “une” mean “a” or “an.” They are singular indefinite articles used before nouns. When making a noun plural, “un” and “une” change to “des.” This is the plural indefinite article, which means “some.” Examples: Understanding Articles An article is a small word that comes before a noun. In English,…
The French phrase faire voir literally means “to make see.” It combines the verb faire (to make, to do) with voir (to see). Its core idea is causing someone to see something – whether literally, figuratively, or idiomatically. The expression is widely used in both formal and informal French, often with meanings extending beyond its…
“However” does two different jobs in English. It can introduce a contrast, meaning roughly “but” or “nevertheless.” It can also show degree, meaning “no matter how.” French uses separate words for each job, so picking the right one depends on which sense of “however” is meant. However meaning “nevertheless” This is the more common use,…
