A1
Present tense (-er verbs)
-er verbs are the biggest, friendliest group in French — learn one pattern and you can use hundreds. Drop the -er and add an ending that matches the subject.
The rule
Remove -er to get the stem, then add:
| Subject | Ending | parler (to speak) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -e | je parle |
| tu | -es | tu parles |
| il / elle / on | -e | il parle |
| nous | -ons | nous parlons |
| vous | -ez | vous parlez |
| ils / elles | -ent | ils parlent |
Key points
- Four endings (-e, -es, -e, -ent) sound identical — only nous (-ons) and vous (-ez) stand out by ear.
- je becomes j' before a vowel: j'aime, j'écoute.
- on takes the il/elle ending though it usually means "we": on parle.
- Verbs in -ger/-cer tweak the nous form: nous mangeons, nous commençons.
Watch out
- ❌ je parles → ✅ je parle (no -s on je)
- ❌ tu parle → ✅ tu parles (tu always ends in -s)
- ❌ ils parlez → ✅ ils parlent
In context
- Je parle français. — I speak French.
- Tu écoutes la radio. — You're listening to the radio.
- Nous mangeons ensemble. — We eat together.
- Ils habitent à Lyon. — They live in Lyon.
Spoken French
The -ent ending is silent: il aime and ils aiment sound the same — context tells you which.
Try three examples
Example 1
She listens to music. → Elle ___ de la musique. (écouter)
- écoute
- écoutes
- écoutons
- écoutent
Show answer
écoute
She listens to music.
Example 2
They work in Paris. → *Ils ___ à Paris.* (travailler)
Ils ___ à Paris.
Show answer
travaillent
They work in Paris.
Example 3
I eat some bread every morning. → *Je ___ du pain tous les matins.* (manger)
Je ___ du pain tous les matins.
Show answer
mange
I eat bread every morning.
Practise this lesson
Continue with the interactive exercise set and save your progress.