Master the French Present Tense: Full Guide

The French present tense is the tense you learn first and use most. It talks about habits and routines, general truths, what is happening right now, and fixed plans for the near future. One tense does all of that, which is why getting its forms right matters more than any other tense. This guide gives you the full formation rules for regular -er, -ir and -re verbs, the spelling changes that catch learners out, the irregular verbs that break the pattern, the usage rules with examples, the contrast with the neighbouring tenses, the mistakes learners make, and a quiz to check yourself. All forms come from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for French verbs, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense is formed

Take the infinitive, remove the -er, -ir or -re ending, and add the present endings. For -er verbs the endings are -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. For -ir verbs of the choisir type the endings are -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. For -re verbs the endings are -s, -s, no ending, -ons, -ez, -ent — so the je and tu forms take -s and the il form takes nothing at all. Here are the three model verbs:

parler (-er verb)

Person parler
je parle
tu parles
il/elle parle
nous parlons
vous parlez
ils/elles parlent

Gerund: en parlant. Past participle: parlé.

choisir (-ir verb)

Person choisir
je choisis
tu choisis
il/elle choisit
nous choisissons
vous choisissez
ils/elles choisissent

Gerund: en choisissant. Past participle: choisi.

attendre (-re verb)

Person attendre
je attends
tu attends
il/elle attend
nous attendons
vous attendez
ils/elles attendent

Gerund: en attendant. Past participle: attendu.

The two families of -ir verbs

Not every -ir verb follows choisir. Verbs like finir follow the same pattern — je finis, nous finissons, ils finissent — with the -iss- sound in the plural forms. But another large family, including dormir, partir and sortir, has no -iss- at all and shortens the stem in the singular: je dors, tu dors, il dort, nous dormons, vous dormez, ils dorment; je pars, tu pars, il part, nous partons, vous partez, ils partent; je sors, tu sors, il sort, nous sortons, vous sortez, ils sortent. Learn which family a new -ir verb belongs to before you guess its forms — the infinitive alone does not tell you. The full tables on each verb’s page show the answer: dormir conjugation, partir conjugation, sortir conjugation.

Spelling changes in the present tense

Some regular verbs change their spelling in the present to keep the sound right. The pronunciation stays regular; only the letters move.

Verbs in -cer: c becomes ç before o. Commencer keeps its soft c sound in the nous form by writing ç: je commence, tu commences, il commence, nous commençons, vous commencez, ils commencent. Without the cedilla, “commencons” would sound wrong.

Verbs in -ger: keep the e before o. Manger keeps its soft g sound the same way: je mange, tu manges, il mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez, ils mangent. The e in mangeons is silent — it is there only to keep the g soft.

Verbs in -yer: y becomes i before a silent e. Payer gives je paie, tu paies, il paie, nous payons, vous payez, ils paient — the y stays in the nous and vous forms, where the ending is sounded, and turns to i everywhere else. Essayer works the same way: je essaie, tu essaies, il essaie, nous essayons, vous essayez, ils essaient.

Verbs with é in the stem: é becomes è before a silent e. Acheter gives je achète, tu achètes, il achète, nous achetons, vous achetez, ils achètent — the accent changes in the singular and the third-person plural, and stays é in the nous and vous forms.

Doubling verbs: the consonant doubles before a silent e. Appeler gives je appelle, tu appelles, il appelle, nous appelons, vous appelez, ils appellent — one l in the nous and vous forms, two everywhere else. The change is a spelling rule, not a new verb: the stem is the same, and the pattern is fully regular once you know it.

Irregular verbs in the present tense

Most French verbs are regular in the present, but the most frequent verbs are not — and those are the ones you use every day. The patterns below cover almost every irregular present you will meet. For the complete list, see the French irregular verbs page.

Totally irregular: être (je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont), avoir (je ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont), aller (je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont) and faire (je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font). These four have to be learnt whole — no rule produces them. Note the je form of avoir: je ai, written as “j’ai” before a vowel.

Venir and voir: venir (je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent) and voir (je vois, tu vois, il voit, nous voyons, vous voyez, ils voient). Both change their stem in the singular and plural, and venir doubles the n in the third-person plural: ils viennent.

The modal-like verbs: pouvoir (je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent), vouloir (je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent), devoir (je dois, tu dois, il doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent) and savoir (je sais, tu sais, il sait, nous savons, vous savez, ils savent). These four express ability, wish, obligation and knowledge, so they appear in almost every conversation — learn them early and use them often.

Dire, prendre and mettre: dire (je dis, tu dis, il dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils disent), prendre (je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent) and mettre (je mets, tu mets, il met, nous mettons, vous mettez, ils mettent). Dire is unusual in the vous form — vous dites, not “disez” — and prendre doubles the n in the third-person plural: ils prennent.

When to use the present tense

1. Habits and routines

Je parle français tous les jours. — I speak French every day. Use the present for things you do regularly, with time words like tous les jours, toujours, souvent, chaque semaine. Nous mangeons à midi. — We eat at midday. Ils travaillent le lundi. — They work on Mondays.

2. General truths and facts

Paris est la capitale de la France. — Paris is the capital of France. Use the present for things that are always true, including facts and definitions. Les chiens aiment courir. — Dogs like running.

3. What is happening right now

Je regarde la télévision maintenant. — I am watching television now. The present covers the current moment; French often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive. Tu écoutes la radio. — You are listening to the radio.

4. Fixed plans and the near future

Je pars demain à huit heures. — I leave tomorrow at eight. Use the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Nous sortons ce soir. — We are going out tonight.

5. Instructions and directions

Vous prenez la deuxième rue à gauche. — You take the second street on the left. The present gives directions and instructions in everyday speech. Vous descendez les escaliers. — You go down the stairs.

Present vs passé composé

The present is for habits, truths and what is happening now; the passé composé is for one finished action in the past. Compare: “Je parle à Marie tous les jours” (a habit — present) with “J’ai parlé à Marie hier” (one finished conversation — passé composé). And “Je vais à Paris demain” (a fixed plan — present) with “Je suis allé à Paris hier” (a completed trip — passé composé). The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé. For the full forms, see parler conjugation and aller conjugation.

Present vs imparfait

The present is for what is true now; the imparfait is for what used to be true, or for background and description in the past. Compare: “Je parle français” (a fact about me now) with “Je parlais français quand j’étais petit” (a fact about my childhood). And “Je regarde la télévision” (right now) with “Quand j’étais petit, je jouais au football” (a repeated past activity). If the action is finished and dated, use the passé composé; if it was ongoing or repeated with no fixed end, use the imparfait; if it is true now, use the present.

Present vs futur

The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the futur is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare: “Je pars demain” (my plan is fixed — present) with “Je partirai demain” (a prediction or a promise — futur). And “Je finis le livre ce soir” (a plan I am already carrying out) with “Je finirai le livre demain” (something I intend to do later). If the plan is already decided and you give a time, the present is the natural choice; for predictions and promises, use the futur. For the full forms, see partir conjugation and finir conjugation.

Common mistakes in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form: Je parler français.

Every subject needs its own form: je parle, tu parles, elle parle. The infinitive never works as a finite verb in a main clause. Say the six forms in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — until each subject brings its own ending with it.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Forgetting the spelling change: nous commencons.

The spelling changes exist to keep the sound: commencer gives nous commençons, manger gives nous mangeons, payer gives je paie, acheter gives je achète, appeler gives je appelle. Write the nous form first when you learn a new verb — it shows you whether a spelling change is needed.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Mixing up être and avoir: Je suis vingt ans.

Age takes avoir, not être: J’ai vingt ans. Identity and description take être — je suis professeur — while age, hunger and thirst all take avoir: j’ai faim, j’ai soif, j’ai vingt ans. Learn the verb with its meaning: avoir is for age and needs, être is for identity and description.

Mistake 4

Wrong: Forgetting the -iss- in -ir verbs: nous choisons, ils finisent.

The choisir family keeps -iss- in the plural: nous choisissons, vous choisissez, ils choisissent; nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. But the dormir family has no -iss- at all: nous dormons, nous partons, nous sortons. Check the family first — guessing -iss- for a dormir-type verb is just as wrong as forgetting it for a choisir-type verb.

Quiz: the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the je form of parler in the present tense?

  • A) parle
  • B) parles
  • C) parlons
  • D) parlent

Answer: A — The je form in the present tense is parle.

2. What is the nous form of choisir in the present tense?

  • A) choisis
  • B) choisit
  • C) choisissons
  • D) choisissent

Answer: C — The nous form in the present tense is choisissons.

3. What is the ils/elles form of attendre in the present tense?

  • A) attends
  • B) attend
  • C) attendons
  • D) attendent

Answer: D — The ils/elles form in the present tense is attendent.

4. What is the tu form of être in the present tense?

  • A) suis
  • B) es
  • C) est
  • D) sommes

Answer: B — The tu form in the present tense is es.

5. What is the nous form of aller in the present tense?

  • A) vais
  • B) vas
  • C) allons
  • D) vont

Answer: C — The nous form in the present tense is allons.

6. What is the je form of faire in the present tense?

  • A) fais
  • B) fait
  • C) faisons
  • D) font

Answer: A — The je form in the present tense is fais.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Je manger tous les jours.
  • B) Je mange tous les jours.

Answer: B — The verb must be conjugated for the subject: je mange.

8. What is the ils/elles form of vouloir in the present tense?

  • A) veux
  • B) veut
  • C) voulons
  • D) veulent

Answer: D — The ils/elles form in the present tense is veulent.

Frequently asked questions

What is the French present tense used for?

Habits and routines, general truths, what is happening now, and fixed plans for the near future. It is the most used tense in the language, and the first one to learn.

Are the -er, -ir and -re present endings the same?

No. The -er endings are -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent; the choisir-type -ir endings are -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent; and the -re endings are -s, -s, no ending, -ons, -ez, -ent. The -er and -re endings share the nous and vous forms (-ons, -ez) but differ everywhere else, and the -ir verbs split into two families — choisir-type with -iss- and dormir-type without it.

Which verbs are irregular in the present?

The most frequent ones: être, avoir, aller, faire, venir, voir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir, dire, prendre and mettre. The full list is on the French irregular verbs page.

When do I use the present for the future?

When the plan is already fixed and you give a time: je pars demain à huit heures, nous sortons ce soir. For predictions and promises, use the futur: je partirai, nous sortirons.

How do I practise the present tense?

Conjugate one verb a day in all six persons, in sentences, not as a bare list. Then use the Present Tense Conjugator and the Verb Quiz to test yourself.

Related pages