A regular verb follows one pattern for its whole family, so a single set of endings lets you write dozens of everyday actions. In IGCSE French this skill appears whenever you describe routines, hobbies, school life or what other people do.
It is the first lesson in present-time expression, and the later lessons on irregular verbs, negatives and questions all build on it.
What are the three regular patterns?
French regular verbs are sorted by the end of the infinitive. Remove the ending to find the stem, then add the ending that matches the subject.
| Subject | jouer (-er) | finir (-ir) | vendre (-re) |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | joue | finis | vends |
| tu | joues | finis | vends |
| il / elle / on | joue | finit | vend |
| nous | jouons | finissons | vendons |
| vous | jouez | finissez | vendez |
| ils / elles | jouent | finissent | vendent |
Most verbs you meet are -er verbs: habiter, regarder, manger, aimer, parler. Learn that group first, then add -ir and -re verbs.
How do you build a correct present-tense sentence?
- Find the subject. Decide who is acting, and whether it is singular or plural.
- Find the infinitive and the stem. For habiter, the stem is habit-.
- Add the ending for that subject. Subject and ending must agree.
- Check the first letter. If the verb starts with a vowel or silent h, write j’ instead of je.
- Read it back. Point to the subject and the ending and ask whether they match.
Worked example
Complete the sentences with the correct present tense.
Mes cousins ___ (habiter) à Lyon et ils ___ (choisir) toujours le même café. Moi, j’___ (attendre) le bus devant l’école.
Sentence 1. “Mes cousins” means ils (plural). Stem habit-, ending -ent: habitent.
Sentence 2. “ils” again. Choisir is an -ir verb: stem chois-, ending -issent: choisissent.
Sentence 3. Subject is je and the verb attendre is an -re verb. Stem attend-, ending -s: j’attends.
Full answer: Mes cousins habitent à Lyon et ils choisissent toujours le même café. Moi, j’attends le bus devant l’école.
The mistake to watch for
A frequent slip is writing the singular ending after a plural subject, because the two sound the same.
Mistaken: Mes amis joue au badminton le samedi.
“Mes amis” is plural, so the verb needs -ent. The learner wrote what they heard in their head, and -e and -ent sound identical.
Correction: Mes amis jouent au badminton le samedi. Before you finish a sentence, underline the subject and check whether it is singular or plural.
One more spelling note: with nous, verbs like manger add an e to keep the soft g, so write nous mangeons, not nous mangons.
Check yourself
Write the correct form, then open each answer.
1. Elle ___ (regarder) un film ce soir.
Show answer
Elle is singular and regarder is an -er verb: Elle regarde un film ce soir.
2. Vous ___ (finir) à quelle heure ?
Show answer
Vous with an -ir verb takes -issez: Vous finissez à quelle heure ?
3. Les élèves ___ (répondre) à la question.
Show answer
Les élèves is plural and répondre is an -re verb: Les élèves répondent à la question.
Where this leads next
Many of the most useful verbs are irregular, so move on to common irregular present forms. You can also test every skill in the module with the integrated practice set.
Some learners get the endings right in a gap-fill but lose them when writing a free paragraph. That is the sort of habit our teachers listen for in online one-to-one French tuition.