Regular -re verbs in French follow a specific pattern in the present tense. By removing the -re ending and adding new endings, you can conjugate these verbs for different subject pronouns. This skill is crucial for building sentences and expressing actions accurately.
Understanding -re verb conjugations is part of mastering regular verb patterns in French. While -re verbs share some similarities with -ir and -er verbs, they have unique endings for nous and vous forms. Knowing these differences helps you use verbs correctly in various contexts.
Conjugation patterns for -re verbs
Regular conjugation patterns
- Regular -re verbs follow a consistent pattern of conjugation in the present tense, with specific endings for each subject pronoun
- The endings for regular -re verbs in the present tense are: -s, -s, -, -ons, -ez, -ent
- To conjugate a regular -re verb, remove the -re ending from the infinitive and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun
- The stem of the verb (the part that remains after removing the -re ending) stays the same for all subject pronouns in the present tense
Common regular -re verbs
- vendre (to sell)
- répondre (to answer)
- attendre (to wait)
- perdre (to lose)
- entendre (to hear)
Conjugation of -re verbs in present tense
Subject pronoun endings
- Je (I): verb stem + -s
- Tu (you, singular informal): verb stem + -s
- Il/Elle/On (he/she/one): verb stem + -
- Nous (we): verb stem + -ons
- Vous (you, plural/formal): verb stem + -ez
- Ils/Elles (they): verb stem + -ent
Example conjugation: vendre (to sell)
- Je vends
- Tu vends
- Il/Elle/On vend
- Nous vendons
- Vous vendez
- Ils/Elles vendent
Additional examples
- répondre (to answer)
- Je réponds
- Tu réponds
- Il/Elle/On répond
- Nous répondons
- Vous répondez
- Ils/Elles répondent
- attendre (to wait)
- J'attends
- Tu attends
- Il/Elle/On attend
- Nous attendons
- Vous attendez
- Ils/Elles attendent
-re verbs vs -ir and -er verbs
Similarities in conjugation patterns
- All three verb groups (-re, -ir, and -er) have regular conjugation patterns in the present tense
- The stem of the verb remains unchanged for all three verb groups in the present tense, except for some irregular verbs
Differences in conjugation endings
- -re and -ir verbs share the same endings for je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles, but differ in the nous and vous forms
- -re verbs: nous (-ons), vous (-ez)
- -ir verbs: nous (-issons), vous (-issez)
- -er verbs have a different set of endings compared to -re and -ir verbs
- -er endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent
Irregular verbs within each group
- Irregular verbs within each group (-re, -ir, and -er) do not follow the regular conjugation patterns
- Irregular verbs must be memorized individually
- Examples of irregular -re verbs: être (to be), faire (to do/make), prendre (to take)
- Examples of irregular -ir verbs: venir (to come), partir (to leave), dormir (to sleep)
- Examples of irregular -er verbs: aller (to go), avoir (to have), envoyer (to send)