Present tense stem changes (e to è)
In French, some regular -er verbs have a slight spelling change in the present tense. If a verb has an unaccented e before the final consonant of its stem, that e changes to an è for most pronouns.
The only exceptions are nous and vous, which keep the original unaccented e. Here is the conjugation for acheter (to buy):
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | j'achète |
| tu | tu achètes |
| il / elle / on | il achète |
| nous | nous achetons |
| vous | vous achetez |
| ils / elles | ils achètent |
| I am buying a cake for dessert. | J'achète un gâteau pour le dessert. |
| She is buying vegetables in this large aisle. | Elle achète des légumes dans ce grand rayon. |
This pattern applies to several other common verbs, such as se promener (to take a walk), emmener (to take someone), amener (to bring someone), enlever (to take off), and geler (to freeze).
| I am taking a walk in the neighborhood. | Je me promène dans le quartier. |
| They are taking a walk in front of the new shop. | Ils se promènent devant la nouvelle boutique. |
| I am taking my dog to the park. | J'emmène mon chien au parc. |
| He is bringing his friend to the party tonight. | Il amène son ami à la fête ce soir. |
| You take off your coat because it is hot. | Tu enlèves ton manteau parce qu'il fait chaud. |
| It often freezes in this region. | Il gèle souvent dans cette région. |
You can also use these verbs with common shopping vocabulary like une caisse (a checkout), un panier (a basket), and une liste (a list):
| I am buying this book and I am going to the checkout. | J'achète ce livre et je vais à la caisse. |
| I take my brother towards the supermarket with a list and a basket. | J'emmène mon frère vers le supermarché avec une liste et un panier. |
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