1 · GrammarWhen and how to use the French present
The French present is used for what is happening now, what usually happens, a general fact, a situation continuing with depuis, or a planned action in the near future.
Build a regular present-tense verb
The ending changes with the subject: je parle, nous parlons, ils parlent.
When to use the present
One French tense covers several ideas that English may express in different ways.
Use the present for an action happening now: Je mange maintenant. This can mean “I am eating now.”
Use it for a habit or routine: Je mange à huit heures tous les jours. This means “I eat at eight every day.”
Use it for a general fact: L’eau bout à 100 °C. This means “Water boils at 100°C.”
Use the present with depuis for something that started before and is still true: J’habite ici depuis 2020. English normally says “I have lived here since 2020.”
The present can describe a planned near-future action when a time word makes it clear: Je pars demain. This means “I am leaving tomorrow.”
A verb is an action or state word. The subject tells us who performs it. French verb endings change more than English endings: je parle, but nous parlons.
The infinitive is the dictionary form, such as parler, finir, or vendre. For a regular verb, remove -er, -ir, or -re, then add the ending that matches the subject.
Some frequent verbs are irregular. They do not follow the regular tables, so this lesson gives their complete forms. Later lessons provide more focused practice.
| Subject | -er endings | -ir endings (finir) | -re endings |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -is | -s |
| tu | -es | -is | -s |
| il / elle / on | -e | -it | no ending |
| nous | -ons | -issons | -ons |
| vous | -ez | -issez | -ez |
| ils / elles | -ent | -issent | -ent |
Regular families and essential irregular verbs
Regular -er verbs
Remove -er. For parler, the stem is parl-. For travailler, the stem is travaill-. Add the regular -er ending for the subject.
| Subject | parler · to speak | travailler · to work |
|---|---|---|
| je | parle | travaille |
| tu | parles | travailles |
| il / elle / on | parle | travaille |
| nous | parlons | travaillons |
| vous | parlez | travaillez |
| ils / elles | parlent | travaillent |
Regular -ir verbs like finir
Remove -ir. For finir, the stem is fin-. For choisir, the stem is chois-. Add the regular -ir ending for the subject.
| Subject | finir · to finish | choisir · to choose |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | choisis |
| tu | finis | choisis |
| il / elle / on | finit | choisit |
| nous | finissons | choisissons |
| vous | finissez | choisissez |
| ils / elles | finissent | choisissent |
Regular -re verbs
Remove -re. For vendre, the stem is vend-. For attendre, the stem is attend-. Add the regular -re ending for the subject.
| Subject | vendre · to sell | attendre · to wait |
|---|---|---|
| je | vends | attends |
| tu | vends | attends |
| il / elle / on | vend | attend |
| nous | vendons | attendons |
| vous | vendez | attendez |
| ils / elles | vendent | attendent |
The -indre family: craindre and peindre
Verbs in -aindre, -eindre, and -oindre use -s, -s, -t in the singular and -gnons, -gnez, -gnent in the plural.
| Subject | craindre | peindre |
|---|---|---|
| je | crains | peins |
| tu | crains | peins |
| il / elle / on | craint | peint |
| nous | craignons | peignons |
| vous | craignez | peignez |
| ils / elles | craignent | peignent |
Essential irregular verbs: être and avoir
These very common verbs do not follow a regular table. Learn each complete form.
| Subject | être | avoir |
|---|---|---|
| je / j’ | suis | ai |
| tu | es | as |
| il / elle / on | est | a |
| nous | sommes | avons |
| vous | êtes | avez |
| ils / elles | sont | ont |
Essential irregular verbs: aller and faire
Use aller for movement or destination and faire for doing, making, weather, and many activities.
| Subject | aller | faire |
|---|---|---|
| je | vais | fais |
| tu | vas | fais |
| il / elle / on | va | fait |
| nous | allons | faisons |
| vous | allez | faites |
| ils / elles | vont | font |
Essential irregular verbs: pouvoir and vouloir
Use pouvoir for ability or permission and vouloir for wants and intentions.
| Subject | pouvoir | vouloir |
|---|---|---|
| je | peux | veux |
| tu | peux | veux |
| il / elle / on | peut | veut |
| nous | pouvons | voulons |
| vous | pouvez | voulez |
| ils / elles | peuvent | veulent |
Essential irregular verbs: devoir and venir
Use devoir for obligation and venir for coming from or toward a place.
| Subject | devoir | venir |
|---|---|---|
| je | dois | viens |
| tu | dois | viens |
| il / elle / on | doit | vient |
| nous | devons | venons |
| vous | devez | venez |
| ils / elles | doivent | viennent |
Essential irregular verbs: prendre and mettre
Notice the double n in ils prennent and the double t in the plural forms of mettre.
| Subject | prendre | mettre |
|---|---|---|
| je | prends | mets |
| tu | prends | mets |
| il / elle / on | prend | met |
| nous | prenons | mettons |
| vous | prenez | mettez |
| ils / elles | prennent | mettent |
Essential irregular verbs: dire and voir
Pay attention to vous dites, not vous disez, and to nous voyons and vous voyez.
| Subject | dire | voir |
|---|---|---|
| je | dis | vois |
| tu | dis | vois |
| il / elle / on | dit | voit |
| nous | disons | voyons |
| vous | dites | voyez |
| ils / elles | disent | voient |
Useful spelling changes in some -er verbs
Sortir, partir, and dormir follow another common pattern: je sors, tu sors, il sort, nous sortons, vous sortez, ils sortent. Later lessons give irregular families more focused practice.
See the present in complete sentences
These examples cover the main uses, regular patterns, and essential exceptions.
| French example | English translation | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Je parle avec mon collègue maintenant. | I am speaking with my colleague now. | Maintenant signals an action happening now; parler is a regular -er verb. |
| Nous finissons à cinq heures tous les jours. | We finish at five every day. | Tous les jours signals a routine; nous takes -issons with finir. |
| Elle attend le bus depuis dix minutes. | She has been waiting for the bus for ten minutes. | With depuis, French keeps the present for an action that started earlier and continues now. |
| Ils craignent l’orage ce soir. | They fear the storm this evening. | Craindre belongs to the -indre family; ils uses craignent. |
| Vous êtes prêts et vous avez les billets. | You are ready and have the tickets. | Être and avoir are irregular, so learn their complete forms. |
| Nous allons au cinéma samedi. | We are going to the cinema on Saturday. | The present plus samedi expresses a planned future action. |
1 · Meet the grammar
Planning the evening
Nora and Karim use regular and irregular present forms to talk about a routine, an action continuing now, and an evening plan.
Tu finis le travail à quelle heure ?
Je finis à cinq heures, mais j’attends le bus depuis dix minutes.
Tu veux venir au cinéma ce soir ?
Oui. Je prends le bus maintenant et je viens directement.
Finis follows the regular finir pattern. Attends follows the -re pattern. Veux, prends, and viens are irregular present forms.
2 · PracticePractise and check your understanding
2 · Practice
Choose the present form that matches the subject
Choose one answer. Then select Check answer. You will see the correct form and a short explanation.
Je _____ français avec mes collègues. (parler)
Nous _____ ce projet aujourd’hui. (finir)
Elle _____ le bus depuis dix minutes. (attendre)
Ils _____ l’orage ce soir. (craindre)
Vous _____ en avance. (être)
Tu _____ le temps ce soir ? (avoir)
Nous _____ au cinéma samedi. (aller)
Il _____ beau aujourd’hui. (faire)
Je _____ vous aider maintenant. (pouvoir)
Elles _____ le train à neuf heures. (prendre)
Translation practice
Move between French and English
Write your own translation before submitting. A model answer will then appear. Your wording may be different and still be correct if it keeps the same meaning and grammar.
Part 1 · Translate French into English
Part 2 · Translate English into French
Select an accent button to add it at the end of your answer.
3 · ComprehensionLa routine de Léa
3 · Comprehension · Read it yourself
La routine de Léa
Read for meaning first. Then notice the different present-tense verb families.
Léa se lève à 6 h 30 chaque matin. Elle prend une douche, puis elle boit un café avant de partir. Elle travaille dans un bureau au centre-ville et elle prend le métro tous les jours. À midi, elle mange avec ses collègues. L’après-midi, elle finit son travail vers 17 h 30. Le soir, elle fait du sport deux fois par semaine; les autres jours, elle préfère rester à la maison. Elle lit un livre ou elle regarde un film. Elle craint de se coucher trop tard parce qu’elle doit se lever tôt le lendemain. Le week-end, elle voit sa famille et elle sort avec des amis.
Show English translation
Léa gets up at 6:30 every morning. She takes a shower, then drinks a coffee before leaving. She works in an office downtown and takes the subway every day. At noon, she eats with her colleagues. In the afternoon, she finishes work around 5:30. In the evening, she exercises twice a week; on other days, she prefers to stay home. She reads a book or watches a film. She is afraid of going to bed too late because she has to get up early the next day. On weekends, she sees her family and goes out with friends.
Words such as chaque matin, tous les jours, and le week-end show that the text describes a routine.
4 · VocabularyUseful words from this lesson
French words and their meanings
Use this list to understand the examples and complete the translation practice.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je | I |
| tu | you (one person, informal) |
| il / elle | he / she |
| nous | we |
| vous | you (formal or more than one person) |
| ils / elles | they |
| parler | to speak |
| travailler | to work |
| habiter | to live |
| manger | to eat |
| arriver | to arrive |
| étudier | to study |
| aimer | to like / to love |
| préparer | to prepare |
| jouer | to play |
| prendre | to take |
| finir | to finish |
| choisir | to choose |
| vendre | to sell |
| attendre | to wait |
| français | French |
| à Montréal | in Montreal |
| au café | at the café |
| le soir | in the evening |
| la musique | music |
| le dîner | dinner |
| les enfants | the children |
| dehors | outside |
| le bus | the bus |
| à huit heures | at eight o’clock |
| aujourd’hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
| le présent | the present tense |
| un verbe | a verb |
| le sujet | the subject |
| l’infinitif | the infinitive |
| une terminaison | an ending |
| maintenant | now |
| tous les jours | every day |
| depuis | since / for |
| chaque matin | every morning |
| se lever | to get up |
| prendre une douche | to take a shower |
| le centre-ville | downtown |
| un collègue | a colleague |
| craindre | to fear / to be afraid |
| se coucher | to go to bed |
| le lendemain | the next day |
| le week-end | on weekends |
| sortir | to go out |
| un billet | a ticket |
| la gare | the station |
| un orage | a storm |
| au marché | at the market |