Regular -ER Verbs (Present Tense)

Regular -ER verbs are the largest verb group in French. The infinitive ends in -er: parler manger regarder etc.

Most French verbs are regular -ER verbs.

-ER infinitives: parler / aimer / travailler / habiter

To conjugate a regular -ER verb remove -er from the infinitive to get the stem then add the endings.

Remove -er → stem + endings.

parler → parl- / aimer → aim- / travailler → travaill-

Present tense endings for -ER verbs: -e -es -e -ons -ez -ent.

The 6 present tense endings for -ER verbs.

-e / -es / -e / -ons / -ez / -ent

Full conjugation of parler (to speak): je parle tu parles il/elle parle nous parlons vous parlez ils/elles parlent.

Model conjugation of parler.

Parler

je parle

The endings -e -es and -ent are all silent. Only -ons and -ez are clearly pronounced.

Three of six endings are silent.

je parle / tu parles / ils parlent — all sound the same

Spelling-change verbs: manger (to eat) adds -e before -ons: nous mangeons. Commencer uses ç before -ons: nous commençons.

Some -ER verbs have spelling changes to preserve sound.

nous mangeons (soft g) / nous commençons (soft c)

Stem-changing verbs like acheter and appeler double a letter or add an accent in certain forms.

Stem-changing -ER verbs alter their stem.

j'achète / tu achètes / il achète BUT nous achetons

The present tense in French covers three English meanings: I speak / I am speaking / I do speak.

French present = 3 English present forms.

je parle = I speak / I am speaking / I do speak

Essential regular -ER verbs to memorize: aimer (love) habiter (live) travailler (work) écouter (listen) regarder (watch) arriver (arrive).

Core vocabulary -ER verbs.

aimer

Use the present tense with depuis (since/for) to express actions that started in the past and are still ongoing.

Present + depuis = action ongoing since past.

J'habite ici depuis trois ans = I have lived here for three years