The Present Tense Before you continue learning about the present tense, make sure you know the basics of verbs and are aware of the French subject pronouns.
The present tense is used to express an action which is currently taking place or takes place regularly. In English, we can express this in three ways: I play I am playing I do play
In French, the present tense can only be expressed in one way: Je joue
To form the present tense, remove the infinitive ending (er, ir or re) and add the appropriate ending:
er -e -es -e -ons -ez -ent
je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
ir -is -is -it -issons -issez -issent
NB Do not pronounce the ent at the end of any verb, no matter what the tense.
re -s -s -ons -ez -ent
So let’s construct the phrase I am eating a sandwich. A sandwich is un sandwich and to eat is manger. 1. Choose the pronoun 2. Choose the verb 3. Remove the infinitive ending from the verb 4. Add the ending which corresponds to the pronoun
je manger manger mange
5. Put it all together
Je mange un sandwich
Some Irregular Conjugations As you already know, not all verbs follow the regular patterns and instead have their own conjugations. Listing all of the irregular verbs would be impossible so instead I have given the conjugations for the five most commonly used irregular verbs.
aller – to go je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
faire – to do/make vais vas va allons allez vont
je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
être – to be je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
fais fais fait faisons faites font
pouvoir – to be able suis es est sommes êtes sont
je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
avoir – to have je tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
‘ai as a avons avez ont
peux peux peut pouvons pouvez peuvent
Devoirs Try to write the following sentences in French. The infinitive verbs have been given to you:
I am playing I work I am tall I have three brothers I like cakes
jouer travailler être (irreg) avoir (irreg) aimer
Summary
Verbs express actions or existence An infinitive is a verb in its simplest form English infinitives are preceded by the word to There are three types of French infinitive: er, ir and re.
