LE PRESENT
The present is used for many purposes, which include:
1. Describing an ongoing action/action that occurs on a regular basis.
2. Describing a habitual action that commenced in the past but is still occurring.
3. Describing actions to take place in the near future when used in conjunction with
aller.
4. Describing actions that have just occurred when used as a part of venir de +
infinitif.
Regular verbs are conjugated according their infinitive form endings; these include –er, –
re, and –ir.
PARLER
Je parle
Nous parlons
Tu parles
Vous parlez
Il/elle/on parle
Ils/elles parlent
J’entends
Tu entends
Il/elle/on entend
Je finis
Tu finis
Il/elle/on finit
ENTENDRE
Nous entendons
Vous entendez
Ils/elles entendent
FINIR
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils/elles finissent
Exceptions to regular –er verb conjugations:
• verbs that end in –ger (manger, nager, etc.) will retain the terminal e in addition to
the traditional endings belonging to conjugated nous form.
• verbs that end in –cer (commencer, balancer, etc.) will change the terminal c to a
ç in the nous form.
• Some verbs with a consonant prior to their infinitive –er ending with double the
consonant in all forms except nous and vous (jeter, apeler, etc.)
• Some verbs will substitute è for e in all forms except nous and vous (acheter,
modeler, etc.)
• Some verbs will substitute è for é in all forms except nous and vous (préférer,
sécher, etc.)
If the verb used is pronomial or reflexive, the present-tense verb will be preceded by a
reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous).
• The subjects may be doing something to themselves or to each other.
Nous nous parlons.
Je m’habille.
•
Some verbs (se souvenir) are simply accompanied by a reflexive pronoun at all
times.
Je me souviens quand je voyageais en France.
The 7 “verbes fatals” and their conjugations in the present tense:
AVOIR
J’ai
Nous avons
Tu as
Vous avez
Il/elle/on a
Ils/elles ont
Je suis
Tu es
Il/elle/on est
ETRE
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/elles sont
Je vais
Tu vas
Il/elle/on va
ALLER
Nous allons
Vous allez
Ils/elles vont
Je viens
Tu viens
Il/elle/on vient
VENIR
Nous venons
Vous venez
Ils/elles viennent
Je fais
Tu fais
Il/elle/on fait
FAIRE
Nous faisons
Vous faites
Ils/elles font
Je veux
Tu veux
Il/elle/on veut
VOULOIR
Nous voulons
Vous voulez
Ils/elles veulent
Je sais
Tu sais
Il/elle/on sait
SAVOIR
Nous savons
Vous savez
Ils/elles savent
Je peux
Tu peux
Il/elle/on peut
POUVOIR
Nous pouvons
Vous pouvez
Ils/elles peuvent
FAIRE CAUSATIF
The faire causatif is used to suggest that something is being made to be done. For
example, it is used to say that someone had their hair cut (by a hairdresser) instead of
cutting it him or herself.
Ex: Je me fais couper les cheveux.
I’m having my hair cut.
Je me coupe les cheveux.
I’m cutting my hair.
IMPERATIVE
The imperative is used to make commands with the subjects tu, vous, and nous.
The important points to consider are as followed:
• There is an inversion of subject and verb. (ex: Dêpechez-vous!)
• -er verbs in the second person singular drop the –s.
• In negative commands, there is no inversion; the ne…pas is placed around the
conjugated verb, after the subject.
• For avoir, être, and savoir, the correct subjunctive form of the verb is used
instead of the present form.