Introduction to the French present tense (présent)
The present tense in French, known as le présent is the most important tense to learn and probably the one you will learn first for all verbs. It’s used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, general truths, or future actions.
When to use the present tense
- Describing Current Actions: The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening at the moment of speaking.
- Je mange une pomme (I am eating an apple).
- Expressing Habits or Routines: It’s also used to describe habitual actions or routines.
- Je vais à la gym tous les matins (I go to the gym every morning).
- Stating General Truths: The present tense is used to express general truths or facts.
- Le soleil se lève à l’est (The sun rises in the east).
- Talking About Future Actions: In some cases, the present tense can be used to express future actions, especially in informal speech or with certain expressions.
- Je pars demain (I am leaving tomorrow).
Conjugation of the Present Tense
In French, regular verbs are classified into three categories, or conjugations: -er verbs, -ir verbs, and -re verbs. Here’s how each type is conjugated in the present tense:
Conjugation of French -er Verbs
To conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense, you drop the -er ending of the infinitive form and add the appropriate endings based on the subject pronoun.
| Verb stem + suffix | Parler (To speak) | Manger (To eat) | Aimer (To love) | |
| Je | e | parle | mange | aime |
| Tu | es | parles | manges | aimes |
| Il/Ellen/On | e | parle | mange | aime |
| Nous | ons | parlons | mangeons | aimons |
| Vous | ez | parlez | mangez | aimez |
| Ils/Elles | ent | parlent | mangent | aiment |
Conjugation of French -ir Verbs:
For regular -ir verbs, such as finir (to finish), you remove the -ir ending and add the following endings:
| Verb stem + suffix | Finir (To finish) | Choisir (To choose) | Établir (To establish) | |
| Je | is | finis | choisis | établis |
| Tu | is | finis | choisis | établis |
| Il/Ellen/On | it | finit | choisit | établit |
| Nous | issons | finissons | choisissons | établissons |
| Vous | issez | finissez | choisissez | établissez |
| Ils/Elles | issent | finissent | choisissent | établissent |
Conjugation of French -re Verbs:
Regular -re verbs, like vendre (to sell), follow this pattern:
| Verb stem + suffix | Répondre (To answer) | Vendre (to sell) | Attendre (to wait) | |
| Je | s | réponds | vends | attends |
| Tu | s | réponds | vends | attends |
| Il/Ellen/On | répond | vend | attend | |
| Nous | ons | répondons | vendons | attendons |
| Vous | ez | répondez | vende | attendez |
| Ils/Elles | ent | répondent | vendent | attendent |
Irregular Verbs
While regular verbs follow predictable patterns, there are many irregular verbs in French that do not. These verbs have unique conjugations in the present tense, and they must be memorized individually regretfully. Some common irregular verbs include être (to be), avoir (to have), faire (to do/make), and aller (to go).
| Etre | Faire | Avoir | Aller | |
| Je | suis | fais | ai | vais |
| Tu | es | fais | as | vas |
| Il/Elle/On | est | fait | a | va |
| Nous | sommes | faisons | avons | allons |
| Vous | êtes | faites | avez | allez |
| Ils/Elles | sont | font | ont | vont |
Here’s a list of the 25 most common irregular verbs in French with links to their conjugation tables