The largest verb family
Most French verbs end in -er in their dictionary form (the infinitive). To use them, drop the -er and add an ending that matches the subject.
| to speak | parler |
Singular endings
Let's look at the verb parler (to speak). Drop the -er to get the stem (parl-), then add these endings:
| Subject | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je | -e | je parle |
| tu | -es | tu parles |
| il / elle / on | -e | il parle |
Note that on (which usually means "we" in casual speech) takes the exact same verb form as il and elle.
Here is the most important secret about regular -er verbs: all three singular forms sound exactly the same! The -e and -es endings are completely silent.
| I speak French and English. | Je parle français et anglais. |
| You speak Spanish very well. | Tu parles très bien espagnol. |
| He works in a big company. | Il travaille dans une grande entreprise. |
| We speak English in the company. | On parle anglais dans l'entreprise. |
Dropping the "e" (j')
When a verb starts with a vowel or a silent h (like étudier or habiter), the pronoun je drops its e to become j'.
| I study Spanish with a friend. | J'étudie l'espagnol avec un ami. |
| She lives in a city, but I live here. | Elle habite dans une ville, mais moi, j'habite ici. |
Negating -er verbs
To say you don't do something, wrap the conjugated verb in ne ... pas. Just like je, the word ne becomes n' when the verb starts with a vowel or silent h.
| You don't study in the office? | Tu n'étudies pas dans le bureau ? |
| He doesn't live in an apartment. | Il n'habite pas dans un appartement. |
