Verbs are action words - they tell us what someone or something does. In English, words like run, eat, and think are verbs. In French, verbs work the same way: manger (to eat), parler (to speak), jouer (to play).  

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Verbs are essential because they help us express actions, describe situations, and communicate ideas. Without verbs, we wouldn't be able to say what we are doing or what is happening around us.

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In French, verbs change depending on who is doing the action and when it happens.

For example:

Je parle (I speak)

Nous parlons (We speak)

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Learning verbs is one of the most important steps in understanding and using French confidently!

Conjugation

Conjugation is the process of changing a verb to match the subject (who is doing the action) and the tense (when the action happens).

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In English, we do this too! For example, we say:

I eat, but he eats (not "he eat")

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French works the same way, but with more changes depending on the verb.

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Every verb follows a pattern based on its type or if it's irregular (more on that below!). Learning these patterns helps you speak French correctly!

Verb Categories

In French, verbs are grouped in three categories, based on how they end in their infinitive form (the basic, unchanged form of the verb). These categories help us understand how verbs are conjugated (changed to match the subject).

-ER Verbs (e.g., parler - to speak, aimer - to like) 

The largest group and the easiest to learn!

Most follow the same pattern when conjugated.

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-IR Verbs (e.g., finir - to finish, choisir - to choose)

Many follow a regular pattern, but some are irregular.

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-RE Verbs (e.g., vendre - to sell, entendre - to hear)

The smallest group and often a bit trickier.

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Each category has its own rules for conjugation, and recognizing them makes it easier to form correct sentences in French!

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs