Verbs in “er”:
1. Regular:
🧠 STEP 1: Remove -ER from the infinitive
Example: the verb “parler” (to talk / to speak)
Remove the -er → you're left with the stem: parl-
🧠 STEP 2: Add the proper endings
Now, add these endings to the stem according to the subject:
Subject Ending Example with parler
je -e je parle (I speak)
tu -es tu parles (you speak)
il/elle -e il parle (he speaks)
nous -ons nous parlons (we speak)
vous -ez vous parlez (you speak - formal/plural)
ils/elles -ent ils parlent (they speak)
🔁 Apply to other -ER verbs
Example: aimer (to like/love):
j’aime
tu aimes
il/elle/on aime
nous aimons
vous aimez
ils/elles aiment
2. Irregular:
While most -ER verbs in French are regular, there are a few irregular -ER verbs.
they usually follow the same endings, but the stem might change in some forms.
a. Verbs ending in “ger”:
In nous, we add an e to keep the soft "g" sound:
Example: manger (to eat)
je mange
tu manges
il/elle mange
nous mangeons ← notice the e
vous mangez
ils/elles mangent
b. Verbs ending in “cer”:
In nous, the "c" changes to ç to keep the soft sound:
Example: commencer (to begin / to start)
je commence
tu commences
il commence
nous commençons ← with a ç
vous commencez
ils commencent
c. Verbs ending in “eler”:
We have to double l with all subjects except - “nous” and “vous” –
Example: verb “appeler” (to call)
j' appelle
tu appelles
il/elle appelle
nous appelons
vous appelez
ils/elles appellent
d. Verbs ending in “eter”:
Double the consonant (tt) in all forms except nous and vous.
Example: jeter
je jette
tu jettes
il/elle jette
nous jetons
vous jetez
ils/elles jettent
e. Verb “acheter” (to buy)
In forms like je, tu, il/elle, ils/elles, the e becomes è to make the vowel sound
stronger → achète
But in nous and vous, it stays regular → achetons, achetez
j' achète
tu achètes
il/elle achète
nous achetons ❌ no accent
vous achetez ❌ no accent
ils/elles achètent
f. Verbs ending in “yer”
We must change y to i in all forms except nous and vous.
Example: verb “nettoyer” (to clean)
je nettoie
tu nettoies
il/elle nettoie
nous nettoyons
vous nettoyez
ils/elles nettoient
g. Verb “Préférer” (to prefer):
je préfère YES (é → è)
tu préfères YES
il/elle préfère YES
nous préférons ❌ NO change
vous préférez ❌ NO change
ils/elles préfèrent YES
h. Verb “aller” (to go)
The verb aller doesn’t follow the regular pattern of er verbs; it is a super
irregular verb, and we must memorize the whole conjugation.
je vais
tu vas
il/elle va
nous allons
vous allez
ils/elles vont