Mastering the Most Important Irregular French Verbs

In this post we’ll take a look at irregular French verbs in the present tense. Mastering French verbs can be challenging, because there are different categories of regular verbs with many forms. And on top of that, there are plenty of irregular verbs that don’t follow a predictable pattern. But mastering verbs is simply a matter of looking for patterns and taking time to practice.

Many common verbs are irregular in French, so it’s important to practice them and see the patterns behind them. We’ll do just that in this post. First, we’ll review the full conjugation of each verb. We’ll group them so that you can learn them as efficiently as possible. Then we’ll focus on the patterns that you can rely on to help you remember the forms. Next, we’ll see examples so you can see those verbs in context. Finally, we’ll include practice exercises throughout so that you can test yourself.

Note about French Pronouns and Verbs in the Present Tense

Before we begin, let’s pause to see a few points to keep in mind when using French pronouns and conjugating French verbs:

• First, the pronoun je becomes j’ before a vowel or silent h: j’ai (I have), j’habite (I live).
• Second, there are two ways to say you in French. Tu is singular you, used when you’re speaking to one person who you know well, or who is younger than you. Vous has two uses. It is the formal form of you, for when you’re speaking to someone you don’t know well or to whom you want to show respect. Vous is also used to speak to more than one person, in a familiar or formal setting. You should always use vous when you’re talking to an adult stranger, for example in a store or when buying something.
• Third, the pronoun on has two meanings. It can mean one in a general sense, meaning any person. But it also means we, and it is commonly used in spoken French to mean we.
• Fourth, there are two ways to say they. Use ils to refer to an all-male group, and elles to refer to an all-female group. Ils can also be used for mixed groups.
• Fifth, if you’d like to use a gender-neutral third person pronoun, use iel for singular they, and iels for plural they. You may also hear el and els.
• Sixth, French negatives “sandwich” the verb. The first element is ne, then the verb, and then the negative: ne… pas (not), ne…jamais (never), ne…plus (not anymore), ne… que (not only).

1. Être & Avoir

First, let’s look at the most important irregular French verbs, être (to be) and avoir (to have). We cover these two verbs in detail in this post, along with plenty of uses, examples, expressions, and practice. So check out that post if you’d like to go into more depth.

2. Aller

Next, let’s look at aller (to go). 

Notice that the nous and vous forms of aller look as though it were a regular –er verb. The other forms are quite irregular, but they’re (almost) just like the forms of avoir with a v: ai/vais, as/vas, a/va, ont/vont). Aller is used to express movement toward a place, and like English go, it’s used to express the near future. Just use it with a second verb in the infinitive.

• Comment vas-tu au travail ?
  How do you go to work?
• Ils vont souvent au théâtre.
  They often go to the theater.
• Qu’est-ce que vous allez faire ce soir ?
  What are you going to do tonight?
• Je vais t’appeler plus tard.
  I’m going to call you later.

3. Faire & Dire

Next, let’s look at faire (to do, to make) and dire (to say, to tell).

We’re grouping these two verbs together because their vous forms both end in –tes. (The only other French verb with a vous form that does not end in –ez is êtes.) And they both add an –s in the nous forms. The singular forms follow the –s, –s, –t pattern, which is very common in irregular verbs.

• Qu’est-ce qu’ils font là-bas ?
  What are they doing over there?
• Elle dit toujours la vérité.
  She always tells the truth.
• Qu’est-ce que tu dis ?
  What are you saying?
• Vous dites vos noms.
  You say your names.

Practice A

Let’s practice the irregular verbs you’ve learned so far. For each sentence, give the correct form of the verb in parentheses, then translate. Answers are below at the end of this post.

1. Je _____ fatiguée ce matin. (être)
2. Nous _____ contents de te voir. (être)
3. Elles _____ prêtes pour la fête. (être)
4. Je _____ au restaurant ce soir. (aller)
5. Tu _____ à l’école en bus. (aller)
6. Ils _____ chez leurs amis demain. (aller)
7. Nous _____ du sport chaque week-end. (faire)
8. Elle _____ un gâteau pour l’anniversaire. (faire)
9. Je _____ toujours la vérité. (dire)
10. Vous _____ de jolies choses. (dire)

4. Pouvoir, Vouloir, Devoir

Next, let’s look at the modal verbs. Modals are used with other verbs in the infinitive to express ability, desire, or obligation. They’re just like English verbs can, want to, and must.

Notice that all three of these verbs have different vowels from the infinitive in all but the nous and vous forms. The singular forms of pouvoir and vouloir use an –x instead of an –s in the –s, –s, –t pattern. And the final stem consonants (v in pouvoir and devoir, l in vouloir) drop out in the singular forms, but reappear in all the plurals.

• Tu veux du café, ou tu veux manger quelque chose ?
  Do you want some coffee, or do you want to eat something?
• Je ne peux pas comprendre ce qu’il dit.
  I can’t understand what he’s saying.
• Je dois travailler demain, mais je peux venir chez toi demain soir.
  I have to work tomorrow, but I can come to your place tomorrow evening.

Practice B

Now let’s look at the three modals. Fill in the blanks and translate the complete sentences.

1. Je _____ finir mon travail avant de sortir. (devoir)
2. Tu _____ m’aider avec ces bagages ? (pouvoir)
3. Il _____ acheter un cadeau pour sa mère. (vouloir)
4. Nous _____ aller à la plage ce week-end. (vouloir)
5. Vous _____ prendre le train pour Paris. (pouvoir)
6. Elles _____ étudier pour l’examen de demain. (devoir)

5. Prendre & Mettre

Now let’s look at prendre (to take) and mettre (to put, to put on). We’re grouping these two verbs together because they’re both almost regular –re verbs, with a twist.

For prendre, the singular forms are like regular –re, but in the plural you drop the -d-, and then also double the –n– in the ils/elles form. Related common verbs are comprendre (to understand) and apprendre (to learn).

For mettre, the only irregularity is that the second –t– is dropped in the singular forms. The plural forms are completely regular. Related verbs are permettre (to allow), promettre (to promise), and transmettre (to transmit.) Verbs like battre (to beat) also follow this pattern: se battre (to fight), combattre (to combat).

• Je prends le train de très bonne heure demain matin.
  I’m taking the train very early tomorrow morning.
• Mon copain et moi, nous apprenons l’espagnol ensemble.
  My boyfriend and I are learning Spanish together.
• Qui met la table ce soir ?
  Who’s setting the table tonight?
• Elle combat la corruption.
  She fights corruption.

If you want to learn more about slightly irregular –re verbs, check out this post on -re verbs.

6. Lire & Écrire

Now let’s look at lire (to read) and écrire (to write). These verbs are grouped together because they’re regular s-s-t verbs in the singular, but they add a consonant in the plural before the regular endings. Lire adds –s-, and écrire adds –v-.

Verbs that end in –uire follow the lire pattern: traduire (to translate), conduire (to drive), and produire (to produce): conduit, conduisent. Verbs like écrire include décrire (to describe) and s’inscrire (to sign up, to enroll).

• Il lit beaucoup de poésie.
  He reads a lot of poetry.
• Elle décrit le tableau.
  She describes the painting.
• Vous conduisez trop vite.
  You are driving too fast.

7. Venir & Tenir

Next, we’ll look at venir (to come) and tenir (to hold). These s-s-t verbs change their stem vowels from e to ie in the singular and ils/elles forms. They also double the n in the ils/elles form.

Verbs derived from venir include revenir (to come back), devenir (to become) and se souvenir (to remember). The expression venir de + infinitive means to have just done something. Verbs conjugated like tenir include obtenir (to obtain), retenir (to hold back), maintenir (to maintain), and appartenir (to belong to).

• Ils viennent du Canada.
  They come from Canada.
• Je ne me souviens pas d’elle.
  I don’t remember her.
• L’enfant tient la main de sa mère.
  The child holds her mother’s hand.

Practice C

Let’s continue to practice with the last batch of verbs that you learned.

1. Je _____ un café chaque matin. (prendre)
2. Ils _____ leurs clés avec eux. (prendre)
3. Tu _____ toujours ton chapeau quand il fait froid. (mettre)
4. Nous _____ la table avant le dîner. (mettre)
5. Elle _____ chez moi après l’école. (venir)
6. Vous _____ souvent en retard. (venir)
7. Je _____ fermement la poignée. (tenir)
8. Les enfants _____ leurs jouets avec soin. (tenir)
9. Il _____ un livre intéressant. (lire)
10. Nous _____ le journal tous les matins. (lire)
11. Tu _____ un texto à ton ami. (écrire)
12. Elles _____ des poèmes magnifiques. (écrire)

8. Voir & Croire

Now let’s look at voir (to see) and croire (to believe). These verbs follow the familiar s-s-t pattern in the singular. In the plural, the nous and vous forms have a –y– before the ending, but the ils/elles form has –i- like the singulars.

• Je ne te crois pas.
  I don’t believe you.
• Nous voyons un film tous les samedis.
  We watch a film every Saturday.
• Ils croient tout ce qu’ils lisent en ligne.
  They believe everything they read online.

9. Savoir & Connaître

These two irregular verbs are grouped together because they both mean know in English. But they refer to different types of knowing. Savoir is used for facts, and connaître is used for things that you’re familiar with (a person, a book, a restaurant, a city, and so on.) Notice that they both have s-s-t endings in the singular, but connaît carries a circumflex. Savoir loses its v in the singular, but it comes back in the plural. Connaître adds ss before the plural endings.

• Tu sais où se trouve la station de métro ?
  Do you know where the metro station is?
• Oui, je connais très bien le quartier.
  Yes, I know the neighborhood very well.
• Sais-tu qui c’est ?
  Do you know who that is?
• Oui, c’est ma voisine, mais je ne la connais pas très bien.
  Yes, it’s my neighbor, but I don’t know her very well.

Practice D

Now let’s practice voir, croire, savoir, and connaître.

1. Je _____ un film ce soir. (voir)
2. Tu _____ que la solution est simple. (croire)
3. Il _____ répondre à la question difficile. (savoir)
4. Nous _____ bien ce quartier. (connaître)
5. Vous _____ les étoiles dans le ciel. (voir)
6. Elles _____ comment résoudre le problème. (savoir)

10. Partir Group

Next, we’ll see a group of five common irregular verbs that all follow the same pattern: partir (to leave), sortir (to go out), dormir (to sleep), vivre (to live), and servir (to serve). In the singular, they drop the infinitive ending – ir or re – as well as the final stem consonant. Then they add the s-s-t singular endings. In the plural, they add back the final stem consonant, and add the plural endings –ons, –ez, and –ent.

• Le train part dans dix minutes.
  The train leaves in ten minutes.
• Vous sortez ce soir avec vos amis ?
  Are you going out tonight with your friends?
• Il ne dort jamais plus de six heures.
  He never sleeps more than six hours.
• Tu te sers d’un peu de gâteau.
  You help yourself to a little cake.

Practice E

1. Je _____ à huit heures du matin. (partir)
2. Tu _____ de la maison en courant. (partir)
3. Nous _____ ce soir avec des amis. (sortir)
4. Vous _____ dans le centre-ville ce week-end. (sortir)
5. Il _____ un café pour le petit-déjeuner. (servir)
6. Elles _____ du jus frais au brunch. (servir)
7. Je _____ profondément pendant la nuit. (dormir)
8. Vous _____ dans des lits confortables. (dormir)
9. Elle _____ dans une jolie ville près de la mer. (vivre)
10. Nous _____ ensemble depuis plusieurs années. (vivre)

11. Ouvrir Group

Next we’ll look at another large group of verbs that follow an identical conjugation pattern: ouvrir (to open), couvrir (to run), découvrir (to discover), offrir (to offer) and souffrir (to suffer). These verbs conjugate like regular -er verbs in the present tense, despite ending in -ir. They do not take the typical -ir endings.

• Le magasin ouvre à dix heures.
  The store opens at ten o’clock.
• Ils offrent de très bons prix.
  They offer very good prices.
• Beaucoup de gens souffrent pendant les guerres.
  Many people suffer during wars.

12. A Few Stragglers

Finally, let’s look at a few verbs that don’t quite fit into any of the categories we’ve created so far. They are boire (to drink), courir (to run), mourir (to die), fuir (to flee), valoir (to be worth), and falloir (to be necessary, must). Falloir is only used as an impersonal expression, il faut (it’s necessary to…, one must…). Valoir is often used as an impersonal il vaut (it’s worth…), but you can see it in other forms as well.

• Je bois du thé, et ma femme boit du café.
  I’m drinking tea, and my wife is drinking coffee.
• On meurt de faim !
  We’re dying of hunger!
• Ça vaut le coup d’essayer.
  It’s worth trying.
• Il faut que j’aille au distributeur.
  I have to go the to the ATM. (Note that il faut que… is followed by the subjunctive.)

Practice F

1. Je _____ mes livres d’une housse protectrice. (couvrir)
2. Tu _____ la fenêtre pour aérer la pièce. (ouvrir)
3. Il _____ un cadeau à son ami. (offrir)
4. Nous _____ un café ensemble le matin. (boire)
5. Il _____ étudier pour réussir ses examens. (falloir)
6. Vous _____ dans le parc chaque dimanche. (courir)
7. Ce tableau _____ une fortune. (valoir)
8. Elle _____ son lit avec une couverture en laine. (couvrir)
9. Je _____ mon aide pour ce projet. (offrir)
10. On _____ la porte à l’arrivée des invités. (ouvrir)

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Answer Key

A

1. Je suis fatiguée ce matin. I am tired this morning.
2. Nous sommes contents de te voir. We are happy to see you.
3. Elles sont prêtes pour la fête. They are ready for the party.
4. Je vais au restaurant ce soir. I am going to the restaurant tonight.
5. Tu vas à l’école en bus. You are going to school by bus.
6. Ils vont chez leurs amis demain. They are going to their friends’ house tomorrow.
7. Nous faisons du sport chaque week-end. We do sports every weekend.
8. Elle fait un gâteau pour l’anniversaire. She is making a cake for the birthday.
9. Je dis toujours la vérité. I always tell the truth.
10. Vous dites de jolies choses. You say nice things.

B

1. Je dois finir mon travail avant de sortir. I have to finish my work before going out.
2. Tu peux m’aider avec ces bagages ?  Can you help me with these bags?
3. Il veut acheter un cadeau pour sa mère. He wants to buy a gift for his mother.
4. Nous voulons aller à la plage ce week-end. We want to go to the beach this weekend.
5. Vous pouvez prendre le train pour Paris. You can take the train to Paris.
6. Elles doivent étudier pour l’examen de demain. They have to study for tomorrow’s exam.

C

1. Je prends un café chaque matin. I have a coffee every morning.
2. Ils prennent leurs clés avec eux. They take their keys with them.
3. Tu mets toujours ton chapeau quand il fait froid. You always put on your hat when it’s cold.
4. Nous mettons la table avant le dîner. We set the table before dinner.
5. Elle vient chez moi après l’école. She comes to my house after school.
6. Vous venez souvent en retard. You often come late.
7. Je tiens fermement la poignée. I hold the handle firmly.
8. Les enfants tiennent leurs jouets avec soin. The children hold their toys carefully.
9. Il lit un livre intéressant. He is reading an interesting book.
10. Nous lisons le journal tous les matins. We read the newspaper every morning.
11. Tu écris un texto à ton ami. You write a text message to your friend.
12. Elles écrivent des poèmes magnifiques. They write magnificent poems.

D

1. Je vois un film ce soir. I’m seeing a film tonight.
2. Tu crois que la solution est simple. You believe that the solution is simple.
3. Il sait répondre à la question difficile. He knows how to answer the difficult question.
4. Nous connaissons bien ce quartier. We know this neighborhood well.
5. Vous voyez les étoiles dans le ciel. You see the stars in the sky.
6. Elles savent comment résoudre le problème. They know how to solve the problem.

E

1. Je pars à huit heures du matin. I leave at eight in the morning.
2. Tu pars de la maison en courant. leave the house running. You run out of the house.
3. Nous sortons ce soir avec des amis. We are going out tonight with some friends.
4. Vous sortez dans le centre-ville ce week-end. You are going out downtown this weekend.
5. Il sert un café pour le petit-déjeuner. He serves a coffee for breakfast.
6. Elles servent du jus frais au brunch. They serve fresh juice at brunch.
7. Je dors profondément pendant la nuit. I sleep deeply during the night.
8. Vous dormez dans des lits confortables. You sleep in comfortable beds.
9. Elle vit dans une jolie ville près de la mer. She lives in a pretty town near the sea.
10. Nous vivons ensemble depuis plursiers années. We have lived together for several years.

F

1. Je couvre mes livres d’une housse protectrice. I cover my books with a protective cover.
2. Tu ouvres la fenêtre pour aérer la pièce. You open the window to air out the room.
3. Il offre un cadeau à son ami. He offers a gift to his friend.
4. Nous buvons un café ensemble le matin. We drink a coffee together in the morning.
5. Il faut étudier pour réussir ses examens. One must study to pass one’s exams. You have to study to pass your exams.
6. Vous courez dans le parc chaque dimanche. You run in the park every Sunday.
7. Ce tableau vaut une fortune. This painting is worth a fortune.
8. Elle couvre son lit avec une couverture en laine. She covers her bed with a wool blanket.
9. Je t’offre mon aide pour ce projet. I offer you my help for this project.
10. On ouvre la porte à l’arrivée des invités. We open the door when the guests arrive.

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