Irregular -ir verbs: The "two-stem" pattern
While many -ir verbs are regular, a few very common ones like partir (to leave), sortir (to go out / to take out), and dormir (to sleep) share a unique irregular pattern.
Instead of one stem, these verbs use two:
- For singular subjects (je, tu, il/elle/on), drop the last consonant of the root (like the t in part-) and add -s, -s, -t.
- For plural subjects (nous, vous, ils/elles), keep the root's final consonant and add the standard plural endings (-ons, -ez, -ent).
Here is how partir works:
| Subject | Ending | partir (to leave) |
|---|
| je | -s | pars |
| tu | -s | pars |
| il/elle/on | -t | part |
| nous | -ons | partons |
| vous | -ez | partez |
| ils/elles | -ent | partent |
Taking out and taking along
Sortir follows the exact same pattern as partir: drop the t for je sors, tu sors, il sort, but keep it for nous sortons, etc. It can mean "to go out," but when handling luggage and personal items, it often means "to take out."
You will also use regular -er verbs to talk about packing, such as oublier (to forget) and emporter (to take along, to bring).
Sleeping on the go
Dormir (to sleep) is conjugated exactly like partir and sortir, but its root ends in m (dorm-). Drop the m in the singular forms (je dors, tu dors, il dort) and keep it in the plural (nous dormons, vous dormez, ils dorment).
