The regular -er lesson covers verbs whose present forms follow the ending pattern. About 90% of French verbs belong to this group.
Spelling changes
An -er verb keeps the sound of its stem before the -ons ending.
| Change | Verb | nous |
|---|---|---|
| g → ge | manger | nous mangeons |
| c → ç | commencer | nous commençons |
Stem changes
Others change the vowel of the stem in every form but nous and vous.
| Change | Verb | je | nous |
|---|---|---|---|
| é → è | préférer | je préfère | nous préférons |
| e → è | acheter | j'achète | nous achetons |
| l → ll | appeler | j'appelle | nous appelons |
| y → i | payer | je paie | nous payons |