How to Learn French Verb Conjugation

As with many languages, one of the most tedious parts of working towards fluency is mastering the art of conjugation. This is especially true in French. You need to understand how to conjugate French verbs if you plan to hold a conversation with anyone, or grasp what they’re saying in return. That’s because verb conjugation gives you pertinent information regarding who or what is doing something and when they’re doing it.

Although many French verbs are conjugated using straightforward rules based on mood and tense, irregular verbs do exist and there are several different forms to memorize. All in all, learning French verb conjugation is going to take some practice. Luckily, this article will help simplify the process and get you one step closer to French language fluency.

Understanding the Elements of French Verb Conjugation

There are five primary elements of French verb conjugation: person, number, tense, mood, and voice. Typically, person and number are intrinsically related, as they describe who or what is doing something. This can be either in first, second, or third person and either singular or plural.

Tense is also an important element of French verb conjugation that’s used to describe when something is happening. This could either be past, present, or future. Some tenses of French verbs are easier to conjugate than others, but many still follow grammatical rules.

The mood and voice of French verb conjugations are a bit more complicated, so for the sake of this article we’ll omit them for now. Instead, we’ll focus on verb conjugation in French indicative forms of past, present, future, which are the most commonly used in language.

Together with some creative French adjectives, you’ll be able to put together complex sentences and communicate with other speakers.

How to Conjugate -er Verbs in French

French verbs ending in -er are the most common and are considered regular for conjugation purposes. Regardless, complementing your practice with a unique language learning experience is a great way to help solidify your knowledge of French verb conjugation. To match with a native speaker and get an insider’s scoop on the intricate world of French verbs, download Tandem today.

In the meantime, learning how to conjugate -er verbs in French follows some straightforward rules. The table below indicates how to conjugate the regular -er verb in French aimer (to like/love) in the past, present, and future tenses.

Any regular -er verb in French will be conjugated using the table above for these tenses. There are additional forms of conjugation for more complicated moods and voices, but before moving on to those it’s crucial to have a strong grasp of the basics.

It's also important to understand aller conjugation, as it’s one of the most frequently used verbs in French. This is an irregular verb that means “to go.” Consider the conjugation for past, present, and future aller below.

Other irregular -er French verbs include envoyer and renvoyer.

How to Conjugate -ir Verbs in French

French verbs ending in -ir are the second most common group of regular verbs in the French language and many of them also follow more “traditional” conjugation rules. The table below indicates how to conjugate the regular -ir verb in French finir (to finish) in the past, present, and future tenses.

There are also a few irregular -ir verbs in French that do not follow the same conjugation rules. One of the most commonly used ones is venir, which means “to come.” To better understand these differences, consider the venir conjugation below in the past, present, and future form.

How to Conjugate ‘re’ Verbs in French

This is a more complex French verb conjugation group that includes verbs ending in -ir with the gerund ending in -ant, verbs ending in -oir, and verbs ending in -re. These verbs are considered irregular and will not follow specific rules. Like the French alphabet, the best way to learn these is through memorization and practice.

To give you an example, consider the French word faire, which most commonly means “to do” or “to make.” This is a very versatile verb that has several meanings. To understand how to use it in conversation, consider the following table outlining faire conjugation in the past, present, and future.

How to Conjugate Auxiliary Verbs in French

Finally, auxiliary verbs in French don’t really belong to any other category, but are absolutely critical for frequently used verb tenses. The two auxiliary verbs in French are avoir and être. Avoir means “to have,” while être means “to be.” Let’s examine both.

This table shows the past, present, and future French verb conjugations for the verb avoir.

This table shows être conjugation in French forms of the past, present, and future tense.

When you learn how to conjugate French verbs, you open up a whole new experience of language learning. Although it may seem a little overwhelming, the important thing is to take your time and practice as much as possible. To help, Tandem offers a unique community of language learners across the world. Through our personalized language learning experience, you’ll match with native French speakers and continue practicing your French verb conjugations in a variety of new conversational settings. Not only will this give you the chance to apply your newly learned conjugations, but it also allows for feedback from a native as necessary. This is a great way to adapt and take one step closer to French fluency. Plus, Tandem is rooted in the idea of building long-lasting friendships within our tight knit community, so you may even have a new reason to visit France in person!

All you need to do is sign up, match with a native speaker of your target language, and start communicating. To join our community and work on your fluency, sign up for Tandem today.