In French, verbs are categorized into three main groups based on their infinitive endings: -er, -ir, and -re. The -er group is the largest and most regular group of French verbs.
-er Verbs: Conjugation Rules
Definition
The -er group of verbs includes verbs that have an infinitive ending in -er. They follow a regular pattern of conjugation in the present indicative tense.
Conjugation Pattern
- Remove the infinitive ending (-er) to find the stem of the verb.
- Add the appropriate present tense endings to the stem. The endings are:
- je: -e
- tu: -es
- il/elle/on: -e
- nous: -ons
- vous: -ez
- ils/elles: -ent
Examples
Let’s conjugate the verbs “vivre” (to live), “travailler” (to work), and “parler” (to talk). Note that while “vivre” is not a regular -er verb, it is used here for demonstration. The verbs “travailler” and “parler” are regular -er verbs.
1. Vivre (To Live)
“Vivre” is actually an -ir verb, but let’s see its conjugation in the present indicative for comparison:
- Je vis (I live)
- Tu vis (You live, informal)
- Il/Elle/On vit (He/She/One lives)
- Nous vivons (We live)
- Vous vivez (You live, formal/plural)
- Ils/Elles vivent (They live)
2. Travailler (To Work) – Regular -er Verb
- Je travaille (I work)
- Tu travailles (You work, informal)
- Il/Elle/On travaille (He/She/One works)
- Nous travaillons (We work)
- Vous travaillez (You work, formal/plural)
- Ils/Elles travaillent (They work)
3. Parler (To Talk) – Regular -er Verb
- Je parle (I talk)
- Tu parles (You talk, informal)
- Il/Elle/On parle (He/She/One talks)
- Nous parlons (We talk)
- Vous parlez (You talk, formal/plural)
- Ils/Elles parlent (They talk)
Summary
- -er verbs follow a regular pattern in the present tense where the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent are added to the verb stem.
- Vivre (to live) is irregular and follows its unique pattern.
- Travailler (to work) and parler (to talk) are regular -er verbs that follow the typical conjugation pattern.
Understanding these patterns helps in mastering the conjugation of regular -er verbs and recognizing the patterns of irregular verbs.