The present tense (le présent) is French's everyday present tense. It covers both the English simple present and present continuous: French does not distinguish between "I speak" and "I am speaking." Use it for:
- Actions happening now
- Habitual actions ("I speak French every day")
- General truths ("Paris is beautiful")
- Near future with context ("I'm leaving tomorrow")
- Historical present in storytelling
Regular Conjugations
| Pronoun | -er | -ir (finir type) | -re |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -is | -s |
| tu | -es | -is | -s |
| il/elle/on | -e | -it | - |
| nous | -ons | -issons | -ons |
| vous | -ez | -issez | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ent | -issent | -ent |
parler runs the -er column: the stem holds and the ending does the rest.
Regular -er verb: parler in Présent
-ir verbs of this set add -iss- in the plural: nous finissons.
Regular -ir verb: finir in Présent
-re verbs keep the bare stem, and il/elle/on takes no ending at all.
Regular -re verb: vendre in Présent
Common Irregular Verbs
These four carry most of the irregularity you meet early, and none of them takes the endings above.
| Pronoun | être | avoir | aller | faire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | suis | ai | vais | fais |
| tu | es | as | vas | fais |
| il/elle/on | est | a | va | fait |
| nous | sommes | avons | allons | faisons |
| vous | êtes | avez | allez | faites |
| ils/elles | sont | ont | vont | font |
Common Spelling Changes
- Verbs ending in -ger add 'e' after 'g' before 'a/o' to keep soft 'g' sound:
- manger → nous mangeons
- Verbs ending in -cer add cedilla before 'a/o' to keep 's' sound:
- commencer → nous commençons
- Verbs with 'é' in second-to-last syllable change to 'è' before silent syllable:
- préférer → je préfère, but nous préférons