🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

Present Tense of Regular -ER Verbs

Regular -ER verbs are the largest and most predictable group of French verbs. Once you learn the pattern, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs like parler (to speak), manger (to eat), and écouter (to listen).

Short answer

Regular -ER verbs in present tense follow one pattern: drop the -ER and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. For example, parler → je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent.

How to conjugate a regular -ER verb in present tense

1
Start with infinitive
parler
↓
2
Remove -ER ending
parl-
↓
3
Add present tense endings
-e (je), -es (tu), -e (il), -ons (nous), -ez (vous), -ent (ils)
↓
4
Final forms
je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent

Step-by-step worked examples

Conjugate manger (to eat) in present: tu __

Infinitive: manger
Remove -ER: mang-
Add -es for tu: manges
Answer: Tu manges (You eat)

Conjugate danser (to dance) in present: nous __

Infinitive: danser
Remove -ER: dans-
Add -ons for nous: dansons
Answer: Nous dansons (We dance)

Conjugate écouter (to listen) in present: ils __

Infinitive: écouter
Remove -ER: écout-
Add -ent for ils: écoutent
Answer: Ils écoutent (They listen)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Conjugate habiter (to live) for je:

Correct answer: A. Je habite = I live. The je ending is -e.

Q2.Conjugate chanter (to sing) for nous:

Correct answer: A. Nous chantons = We sing. The nous ending is -ons.

Q3.Conjugate travailler (to work) for vous:

Correct answer: C. Vous travaillez = You (formal/plural) work. The vous ending is -ez.

Q4.Conjugate regarder (to watch) for ils:

Correct answer: D. Ils regardent = They watch. The ils ending is -ent.

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Common mistakes

✗

Adding -ent to je forms: je parlent. — Correct: Only ils/elles get -ent; je takes -e: je parle.

✗

Forgetting to remove -ER first. — Correct: Always drop -ER before adding the ending: parl- + -ons = parlons.

✗

Confusing nous (-ons) and vous (-ez) endings. — Correct: Nous = -ons (parlons); vous = -ez (parlez).

✗

Pronouncing je/tu/il differently. — Correct: Spoken forms are identical despite spelling differences.

FAQ

What are regular -ER verbs in French?

The largest group of French verbs that follow a predictable conjugation pattern. Examples: parler, manger, écouter, danser.

How many regular -ER verbs are there?

Hundreds; they make up about 80% of French verbs.

Is there a difference between -ER infinitives and conjugated forms?

Yes; infinitives end in -ER (parler); conjugated forms take person-specific endings (-e, -ons, -ez, etc.).

Do all six forms sound the same for -ER verbs?

Yes, je/tu/il/elle/on all sound identical (parle), but vous (parlez) and nous (parlons) differ.