French with Ash · Book 1 · Reference

-er Verbs, Conjugated


Your lookup sheet for the present and the future. Most French verbs end in -er, and almost all of them follow one pattern. Learn the pattern once, then use this page to check the exact form while you work through the exercises.

The pattern

Take any -er verb. Two moves build both tenses.

Present

Drop the -er, then add the ending. parlerparl-

  • je-eparle
  • tu-esparles
  • il · elle · on-eparle
  • nous-onsparlons
  • vous-ezparlez
  • ils · elles-entparlent

Future

Keep the whole infinitive, then add the ending. parlerparler-

  • je-aiparlerai
  • tu-asparleras
  • il · elle · on-aparlera
  • nous-onsparlerons
  • vous-ezparlerez
  • ils · elles-ontparleront
The one thing to hold onto: for the future you add nothing and remove nothing. The future is built on the infinitive itself. If you can read parler, you can write je parlerai. That makes the future the easy tense, the moment you stop reaching for a stem that isn't there.

Common verbs

Eighteen everyday verbs, in full. Every one follows the pattern above, with no surprises. These are the verbs worth knowing cold.

Small spelling shifts

Skip this section until an exercise sends you here. A handful of -er verbs keep the pattern but nudge a letter to protect their sound or their rhythm. The endings never change. Only the stem flinches, and only in a few spots. Each one below shows what shifts and where.

How to actually use this

Don't memorise the tables. Memorise the two moves at the top, then say the form out loud and let this page confirm it. You are checking your instinct, not copying a chart.

When an exercise asks for the future, resist hunting for a special stem. There isn't one for -er verbs. regarder becomes je regarderai. écouter becomes j'écouterai. Bolt the ending straight onto the word as it stands.