French Verb Conjugation Explained
Type any French verb to see its present-tense forms. Regular -er, -ir and -re verbs take fixed endings on the stem, and common irregular verbs such as être, avoir, aller and faire are built in, with audio and worked examples.
On this page (4 sections)
Enter a French verb in its infinitive form (ending in -er, -ir or -re) and the tool shows the present-tense conjugation, with a Listen button for each form.
French present-tense conjugator
Pick an example or type a verb, then press Conjugate to see the present tense.
Based on Le Robert. Present indicative only. Forms follow standard references; examples are our own.
How it is worked out
French verbs fall into three groups by their infinitive ending. For a regular verb you drop the ending to find the stem and add the present-tense ending for each person. The patterns below are the standard ones given in Le Robert’s conjugation tables.
| Person | -er (parler) | -ir (finir) | -re (vendre) |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -is | -s |
| tu | -es | -is | -s |
| il / elle / on | -e | -it | — |
| nous | -ons | -issons | -ons |
| vous | -ez | -issez | -ez |
| ils / elles | -ent | -issent | -ent |
A set of high-frequency verbs is irregular — être, avoir, aller, faire, prendre, venir, pouvoir, vouloir — along with common -ir verbs like partir and dormir that do not take the -iss- of finir. The tool returns hand-checked forms for all of these.
Worked example (illustrative)
Take parler (“to speak”). Drop -er for the stem parl-, then add the -er endings: parle, parles, parle, parlons, parlez, parlent. So je parle français means “I speak French”. Note the je, tu, il and ils forms are all pronounced the same even though they are spelt differently.
Limits of this tool
- It covers the present indicative only — not the passé composé, imparfait, futur, subjunctive or imperative.
- The regular -ir pattern shown is the finir type; verbs such as partir, dormir, sortir and venir follow other patterns and are listed individually. For any verb not recognised, confirm it in Le Robert.
- Pronunciation uses your browser’s built-in voices, so quality varies by device.
Keep learning
- Grammar basics: French Definite Articles: le, la, les, l’
- New to French? Start Learning French Here
- Build vocabulary with the spaced-repetition flashcards
Sources
- Dictionnaire Le Robert (conjugaison) — Le Robert
- Dire, ne pas dire — Académie française