Discover 20 Common French Verbs and How to Use Them
Last updated: Jul 4, 2025Getting confused with French verbs is something almost every new French learner struggles with. But without understanding these verbs, learning grammar can become more confusing and complex, and you might end up giving up in between. But don’t worry, in this blog, we have mentioned 20 of the most common verbs in French that help you understand the verb conjugation pattern, and boost your confidence. Read on and discover different er, re, and ir ending verbs in French that will make your French journey easier and more fun!
Table of Contents
1. Jouer: To Play
2. Être: To Be
3. Donner: To give
4. Avoir: To Have
5. Faire: To Do/Make
6. Pouvoir: To Be Able
7. Dire: To Say/Tell
8. Aller: To Go
9. Voir: To See
10. Savoir: To Know (Facts, How To)
11. Vouloir: To Want
12. Venir: To Come
13. Devoir: To Have To/Must/Owe
14. Prendre: To Take
15. Mettre: To Put/Place
16. Parler: To Speak
17. Aimer: To Like/Love
18. Passer: To Spend (Time)/To
19. Falloir: To Be Necessary / Must
20. Trouver: To Find
What is a French Verb?
“Un verbe” aka verbs in French are doing words or action words, which means that they express the action which is being performed by the subject of the sentence (pronoun or a noun).
For example, “Nous allons au parc” (We are going to the park,) here the verb “aller” (to go) is conjugated to “allons” to match the subject “nous” (we), and it is showing the action being performed by the subject.
But, did you know that these French verbs don’t only show physical action, they also describe thoughts, states, concepts, and processes? Let’s take a look at the types of verbs in French to understand them better.
What are the Different Types of Verbs in French?
Essentially, the verbs in the French language are divided into two types, regular and irregular verbs. Understanding these French words will not only help learn the language better but even make the French verb conjugation easier.
- Regular French Verbs: The regular verbs in French are verbs, which follows a predictable pattern when you conjugate them. In addition to this, these verbs are further grouped based on their infinitive endings.
- Irregular French Verbs: These are the types of verbs which do not follow a standard conjugation pattern of the three regular patterns, which are ir, er, and re ending verbs in French. However, irregular verbs in French have unique conjugations based on different tenses and you have to memorize them.
Below, are 20 common irregular and regular verbs in French that will help you gain a strong foundation of the language and even help you understand their conjugation patterns better. Let’s take a look at them:
Also Read: Prepositions in French
20 Most Common Verbs in French
Learning about the common ir, re, and er ending verbs in French will help you not only understand the fundamental concepts of the French language but it will also help you form basic sentences and express actions. Check out 20 of the most common French verbs along with some examples:
1. Jouer: To Play
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je joue (“I play”) | nous jouons (“we play”) |
| tu joues (“you [singular informal] play”) | vous jouez (“you [plural/formal] play”) |
| il, elle, on joue (“he, she, it plays”) | ils, elles jouent (“they play”) |
Examples:
- Je joue au tennis. (I play tennis.)
- Tu joues au football. (You play soccer.)
- Elle joue du piano. (She plays the piano.)
2. Être: To Be
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je suis (“I am”) | nous sommes (“we are”) |
| tu es (“you [singular informal] are”) | vous êtes (“you [plural/formal] are”) |
| il, elle, on est (“he, she, it is”) | ils, elles sont (“they are”) |
Examples:
- Je suis étudiant. (I am a student.)
- Tu es gentil. (You are kind.)
- Elle est professeur. (She is a teacher.)
3. Donner: To give
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je donne (“I give”) | nous donnons (“we give”) |
| tu donnes (“you [singular informal] give”) | vous donnez (“you [plural/formal] give”) |
| il, elle, on donne (“he, she, it gives”) | ils, elles donnent (“they give”) |
Examples:
- Je donne un cadeau. (I give a gift.)
- Tu donnes ton livre. (You give your book.)
- Elle donne de l’aide. (She gives help.)
4. Avoir: To Have
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| j’ai (“I have”) | nous avons (“we have”) |
| tu as (“you [singular informal] have”) | vous avez (“you [plural/formal] have”) |
| il, elle, on a (“he, she, it has”) | ils, elles ont (“they have”) |
Examples:
- J’ai un chien. (I have a dog.)
- Tu as une voiture. (You have a car.)
- Elle a deux frères. (She has two brothers.)
5. Faire: To Do/Make
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je fais (“I do/make”) | nous faisons (“we do/make”) |
| tu fais (“you [singular informal] do/make”) | vous faites (“you [plural/formal] do/make”) |
| il, elle, on fait (“he, she, it does/makes”) | ils, elles font (“they do/make”) |
Examples:
- Je fais mes devoirs. (I do my homework.)
- Tu fais du sport. (You do sports.)
- Elle fait la cuisine. (She cooks/makes the food.)
6. Pouvoir: To Be Able
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je peux (“I can”) | nous pouvons (“we can”) |
| tu peux (“you [singular informal] can”) | vous pouvez (“you [plural/formal] can”) |
| il, elle, on peut (“he, she, it can”) | ils, elles peuvent (“they can”) |
Examples:
- Je peux nager. (I can swim.)
- Tu peux venir. (You can come.)
- Elle peut parler français. (She can speak French.)
7. Dire: To Say/Tell
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je dis (“I say/tell”) | nous disons (“we say/tell”) |
| tu dis (“you [singular informal] say/tell”) | vous dites (“you [plural/formal] say/tell”) |
| il, elle, on dit (“he, she, it says/tells”) | ils, elles disent (“they say/tell”) |
Examples:
- Je dis la vérité. (I tell the truth.)
- Tu dis bonjour. (You say hello.)
- Elle dit son nom. (She says her name.)
8. Aller: To Go
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je vais (“I go”) | nous allons (“we go”) |
| tu vas (“you [singular informal] go”) | vous allez (“you [plural/formal] go”) |
| il, elle, on va (“he, she, it goes”) | ils, elles vont (“they go”) |
Examples:
- Je vais à l’école. (I go to school.)
- Tu vas au cinéma. (You go to the cinema.)
- Elle va en France. (She goes to France.)
9. Voir: To See
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je vois (“I see”) | nous voyons (“we see”) |
| tu vois (“you [singular informal] see”) | vous voyez (“you [plural/formal] see”) |
| il, elle, on voit (“he, she, it sees”) | ils, elles voient (“they see”) |
Examples:
- Je vois un oiseau. (I see a bird.)
- Tu vois la maison. (You see the house.)
- Elle voit le film. (She sees the movie.)
10. Savoir: To Know (Facts, How To)
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je sais (“I know”) | nous savons (“we know”) |
| tu sais (“you [singular informal] know”) | vous savez (“you [plural/formal] know”) |
| il, elle, on sait (“he, she, it knows”) | ils, elles savent (“they know”) |
Examples:
- Je sais la réponse. (I know the answer.)
- Tu sais parler français. (You know how to speak French.)
- Elle sait conduire. (She knows how to drive.)
11. Vouloir: To Want
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je veux (“I want”) | nous voulons (“we want”) |
| tu veux (“you [singular informal] want”) | vous voulez (“you [plural/formal] want”) |
| il, elle, on veut (“he, she, it wants”) | ils, elles veulent (“they want”) |
Examples:
- Je veux un café. (I want a coffee.)
- Tu veux partir tôt. (You want to leave early.)
- Elle veut voyager. (She wants to travel.)
12. Venir: To Come
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je viens (“I come”) | nous venons (“we come”) |
| tu viens (“you [singular informal] come”) | vous venez (“you [plural/formal] come”) |
| il, elle, on vient (“he, she, it comes”) | ils, elles viennent (“they come”) |
Examples:
- Je viens de Paris. (I come from Paris.)
- Tu viens avec moi. (You come with me.)
- Elle vient demain. (She is coming tomorrow.)
13. Devoir: To Have To/Must/Owe
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je dois (“I have to/must/owe”) | nous devons (“we have to/must/owe”) |
| tu dois (“you [singular informal] have to”) | vous devez (“you [plural/formal] have to”) |
| il, elle, on doit (“he, she, it has to”) | ils, elles doivent (“they have to”) |
Examples:
- Je dois étudier. (I have to study.)
- Tu dois partir tôt. (You have to leave early.)
- Elle doit travailler. (She has to work.)
14. Prendre: To Take
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je prends (“I take”) | nous prenons (“we take”) |
| tu prends (“you [singular informal] take”) | vous prenez (“you [plural/formal] take”) |
| il, elle, on prend (“he, she, it takes”) | ils, elles prennent (“they take”) |
Examples:
- Je prends le bus. (I take the bus.)
- Tu prends des photos. (You take pictures.)
- Elle prend son temps. (She takes her time.)
15. Mettre: To Put/Place
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je mets (“I put/place”) | nous mettons (“we put/place”) |
| tu mets (“you [singular informal] put/place”) | vous mettez (“you [plural/formal] put/place”) |
| il, elle, on met (“he, she, it puts/places”) | ils, elles mettent (“they put/place”) |
Examples:
- Je mets la table. (I set the table.)
- Tu mets ton manteau. (You put on your coat.)
- Elle met son chapeau. (She puts on her hat.)
16. Parler: To Speak
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je parle (“I speak”) | nous parlons (“we speak”) |
| tu parles (“you [singular informal] speak”) | vous parlez (“you [plural/formal] speak”) |
| il, elle, on parle (“he, she, it speaks”) | ils, elles parlent (“they speak”) |
Examples:
- Je parle français. (I speak French.)
- Tu parles anglais. (You speak English.)
- Elle parle espagnol. (She speaks Spanish.)
17. Aimer: To Like/Love
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| j’aime (“I like/love”) | nous aimons (“we like/love”) |
| tu aimes (“you [singular informal] like/love”) | vous aimez (“you [plural/formal] like/love”) |
| il, elle, on aime (“he, she, it likes/loves”) | ils, elles aiment (“they like/love”) |
Examples:
- J’aime le chocolat. (I like chocolate.)
- Tu aimes la musique. (You like music.)
- Elle aime voyager. (She loves to travel.)
18. Passer: To Spend (Time)/To
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je passe (“I spend/pass”) | nous passons (“we spend/pass”) |
| tu passes (“you [singular informal] spend/pass”) | vous passez (“you [plural/formal] spend/pass”) |
| il, elle, on passe (“he, she, it spends/passes”) | ils, elles passent (“they spend/pass”) |
Examples:
- Je passe une heure à étudier. (I spend an hour studying.)
- Tu passes devant la maison. (You pass in front of the house.)
- Elle passe beaucoup de temps avec ses amis. (She spends a lot of time with her friends.)
19. Falloir: To Be Necessary / Must
Do note that Falloir is an impersonal verb and only conjugates in the third person singular il form.
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| il faut (“it is necessary” / “one must”) | No plural form (used only as "il faut") |
Examples:
- Il faut étudier pour réussir. (It is necessary to study to succeed.)
- Il faut partir maintenant. (One must leave now / It is necessary to leave now.)
- Il faut que tu viennes. (You must come.)
20. Trouver: To Find
| Singular Form | Plural/Formal Form |
|---|---|
| je trouve (“I find”) | nous trouvons (“we find”) |
| tu trouves (“you [singular informal] find”) | vous trouvez (“you [plural/formal] find”) |
| il, elle, on trouve (“he, she, one finds”) | ils, elles trouvent (“they find”) |
Examples:
- Je trouve mes clés. (I find my keys.)
- Tu trouves ce film intéressant. (You find this movie interesting.)
- Elle trouve une solution au problème. (She finds a solution to the problem.)
Conclusion
To sum up, learning French can be quite intimidating, especially if you’re just starting. However, you can make it less daunting with the help of French verbs. Learning common verbs in French and mastering both regular and irregular verbs can help contextualize learning and even build your confidence.
Another way to boost your French learning journey is by getting help from our experts at Gradding.com. They will help you understand the common regular and irregular verbs in French, how to use them in context and understand active learning techniques. Get tailored help today!
FAQs
What are the 20 Verbs in French?
The 20 common and frequently used verbs in French are:
- Être (to be)
- Avoir (to have)
- Aller (to go)
- Faire (to do/make)
- Dire (to say)
- Pouvoir (can/to be able to)
- Vouloir (to want)
- Venir (to come)
- Voir (to see)
- Prendre (to take)
- Savoir (to know)
- Mettre (to put)
- Parler (to speak)
- Aimer (to like/love)
- Finir (to finish)
- Choisir (to choose)
- Attendre (to wait)
- Lire (to read)
- Écrire (to write)
- Boire (to drink)
What are the Super 7 Verbs in French?
The super 7 are the most important French verbs which are irregular but are also highly common, these include:
- Être (to be)
- Avoir (to have)
- Aller (to go)
- Faire (to do/make)
- Dire (to say)
- Pouvoir (can/to be able to)
- Vouloir (to want)
What are Examples of Regular and Irregular French Verbs
Examples of regular French verbs are parler (to speak,) finir (to finish,) and attendre (to wait), these they types of verb which follow predictable conjugation patterns. On the other hand, some examples of irregular French verbs are être (to be,) avoir (to have,) aller (to go,) and faire (to do/make), which are the verbs that do not follow a regular pattern and often change their stem or endings.
How to Conjugate French Verbs?
To conjugate French verbs, you have to change the ending of the verb to agree with the subject (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles) and tense (present, past, future, etc.). Based on their infinitive endings, there are three main French verb groups which are -er verbs (like parler,) -ir verbs (like finir,) and -re verbs (like attendre). Do note that the irregular verbs have unique conjugations which need to be memorized.
0 comments
Hand Picked Courses
Get Scholarship Assistance
Get Offer in 15 Days*
Finance/Loan Assistance
I want FREE assistance with
Looking for Expert Guidance? Contact Us Today!
Call Now