French -ER, -IR, and -RE Verbs: Complete Conjugation Guide for Beginners

French verbs are grouped by their infinitive ending: -ER, -IR, or -RE. Each group follows its own set of endings in the present tense. Learn these three patterns and you can conjugate the vast majority of French verbs correctly — over 90% of all French verbs belong to the -ER group alone, and every new verb coined in French automatically joins it.

Group 1 — -ER Verbs: The Pattern That Covers Almost Everything

-ER verbs use parler (to speak) as the model. Remove the -er to get the stem, then add these endings:

The je, tu, il, ils forms sound identical in speech — only spelling and context distinguish them. The -ent ending on ils/elles is always silent.

Watch for stem-change verbs within Group 1. The stem changes in some forms but the endings stay the same: acheter → j'achète, appeler → j'appelle, manger → nous mangeons (extra e to preserve the soft g), commencer → nous commençons (cédille to preserve the soft c).

Group 2 — Regular -IR Verbs: Spot the -iss-

Group 2 uses finir (to finish) as the model. The key marker is the -iss- infix that appears in the plural forms — if you see it, you have a Group 2 verb.

Common Group 2 verbs: choisir, réussir, grandir, obéir, remplir, bâtir, nourrir. If the plural form takes -issons/-issez/-issent, it's Group 2.

Warning: Not All -IR Verbs Are Group 2

Some common -IR verbs do not add -iss- and behave quite differently. These are Group 3 irregular -IR verbs and must be learnt individually:

• partir, sortir, dormir, sentir, servir — lose their final stem consonant in the singular: je pars, tu pars, il part, then nous partons, vous partez, ils partent
• venir, tenir (and compounds: devenir, revenir, retenir) — heavily irregular: je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent
• courir, mourir — their own irregular patterns: je cours…ils courent; je meurs, il meurt…ils meurent
• ouvrir, offrir, souffrir, couvrir, découvrir — despite the -ir ending, these conjugate exactly like -ER verbs: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, il ouvre, nous ouvrons, vous ouvrez, ils ouvrent. This is one of the most commonly missed exceptions in the entire French verb system.

The quick test: does the verb take -issons in the nous form? Group 2. If not, it's irregular and needs to be checked individually.

Group 3 — -RE Verbs

-RE verbs use vendre (to sell) as the model. Remove the -re to get the stem, then add these endings — note that the il/elle form takes no ending at all, just the bare stem:

Common regular -RE verbs: entendre, répondre, attendre, perdre, descendre, rendre. Irregular -RE verbs — prendre, mettre, connaître, suivre — have their own patterns and need to be checked separately.

The Irregular Verbs That Override Everything

A small set of high-frequency verbs follow no group pattern at all. These are the verbs you'll use most often in writing and speech — they must be memorised as complete paradigms, not derived from a rule:

• être and avoir — fully irregular; see How to Conjugate Être and Avoir for complete tables
• aller (to go) — je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont
• faire (to do/make) — je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font

What to Do When You Encounter an Unknown Verb in the Exam

In a timed writing exam, you'll occasionally need to conjugate a verb you're not fully sure about. Two quick checks reduce the risk of error:

1. Check the infinitive ending first. If the verb isn't one of the well-known irregulars, default to its group's regular pattern — this is correct far more often than not, especially for -ER verbs.
2. For unfamiliar -IR verbs, use the meaning as a clue. Verbs describing a gradual change or process, especially ones derived from an adjective (grandir from grand, rougir from rouge), reliably follow the Group 2 -iss- pattern. If you're still unsure, restructure the sentence around a verb you do know with confidence — a legitimate exam strategy that keeps your response grammatically secure.

This approach keeps your response grammatically secure even when your vocabulary reaches beyond your most memorised conjugations — exactly the kind of exam-smart technique that protects your score at B1–B2 level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it true that almost every new French word becomes an -ER verb?

Yes — new verbs entering French, including borrowings and internet-era coinages (googler, liker), consistently join Group 1. It's the only genuinely productive verb pattern left in the language.

How do I know if an -IR verb is Group 2 or irregular without memorising every one individually?

Check the nous form: if it takes -issons, it's Group 2. If you can't derive it and don't recognise the verb, look it up rather than guessing — irregular -IR verbs are common enough in everyday French that guessing wrong is a frequent, avoidable error.

Do these three groups apply to other tenses too, or just the present?

The present tense endings are group-specific as shown above, but many other tenses (imparfait, futur simple) are built from the present tense stem in ways that carry the same group logic forward — which is part of why mastering the present tense pays off across the whole verb system.

How to Build Conjugation Fluency

Recognising a verb's group is only the first step — producing the correct form instantly under exam pressure is the real skill. That requires repeated active practice, not passive reading of tables.

Use the French Verb Conjugator to look up any verb's complete present tense table and compare it against the group patterns above. When you're uncertain whether a verb is Group 2 or an irregular -IR verb, look up the nous form — the presence or absence of -issons tells you immediately which pattern applies.