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French grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1-A2

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Test yourself (26 questions)

Regular -ir Verbs in French: Present Tense Conjugation

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Regular French -ir verbs come in two patterns. The type adds -iss- in the plural ( ); the type drops a consonant in the singular ( , ). The form tells you which you have. A few -ir verbs take -er endings, and some very common ones are irregular.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

This is the second of three present-tense primers; the others cover regular -er verbs and -re verbs. The French conjugation overview takes these groups through the other tenses.

The two regular -ir patterns

Both patterns side by side. Read down the plural rows: that is where they part company.

ending-iss- (finir type)consonant back in the plural (partir type)What do the colours mean?
Subjectfinir (to finish)partir (to leave)
/ / on
/

The finir type: -iss- in the plural

Drop the -ir and add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. This is the second group, the textbook "regular -ir".

nous finissons, we finish
  • . - I'm finishing the book.
  • . - We're choosing a film.
  • . - The children are growing up.
VerbEnglishnous form
to finish
to choose
to succeed
to act
to think
to fill
to grow up

The partir type: a consonant drops in the singular

The stem loses its last consonant in , and , then gets it back in the plural. The endings are short: -s, -s, -t, -ons, -ez, -ent.

Subjectsortir (to go out)dormir (to sleep)
/ / on
/
  • . - I'm leaving tomorrow.
  • ? - Are you going out tonight?
  • . - The children are asleep.

(to feel, to smell), (to serve) and (to lie) follow the same pattern: , ; , .

Telling the patterns apart

The infinitive will not tell you: and both end in -ir. The form will.

nous formPatternExample
-issons type
plain - type
something oddirregular

Ouvrir: -ir verbs with -er endings

A small group ends in -ir but conjugates like in the present: (to open), (to give, as a present), (to cover), (to discover) and (to suffer).

Subjectouvrir (to open)
/ j'
/ / on
/
  • . - I'm opening the door.
  • . - He gives his mother flowers.

The irregular -ir and -oir verbs

A short list of very common verbs fits neither pattern. Most end in -oir. They come up so often that repetition does most of the work; the French irregular verbs chart groups them with , , and .

Verbje, tu, ilnous, vousils
(to come), , ,
(to hold), , ,
(to know), , ,
(can), , ,
(to want), , ,
(must), , ,
(receive), , ,
(to die), , ,
  • . - I'm coming tomorrow.
  • ? - Can you come?
  • . - I'm getting a letter. (The cedilla keeps the c soft before o.)
  • . - We have to go. has only this one form, .

lends its pattern to its family: (I'm coming back), (I'm becoming). Tenir's family does the same: (I obtain).

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
finons the type needs -iss-
dorms the m drops in the singular
partissons the type has no -iss-
ends in -t

What to do next

  1. Meet a new -ir verb? Find its form first.
  2. Write out and side by side, once a day for a week.
  3. Then practise producing forms in the French conjugation game.

The 10 verbs in this curriculum

Curriculum
10 words
# Freq Word
1120partirto leave, to go
2144sortirto go out, to leave
3183finirto finish, to end
4328dormirto sleep
5408agirto act; impersonal 's'agir de' = to be about, to concern
6446choisirto choose
7592réfléchirto think, to reflect
8970remplirto fill, to fill in
91031grandirto grow, to grow up
101428réussirto succeed, to pass (an exam)

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

Which pattern does each verb follow?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Build the word

0/4

Build the present-tense form from its pieces.

  1. nous + finir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. ils + choisir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. je + dormir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. nous + sortir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake.

Pick the right one

0/6

Choose the correct present-tense form.

  1. je + finir

  2. ils + finir

  3. vous + choisir

  4. tu + partir

  5. il + dormir

  6. ils + sortir

Fill in the blank

0/6

Conjugate the verb in brackets to match the subject.

  1. Je mon travail. (finir)

  2. Il le bon livre. (choisir)

  3. Nous le repas. (finir)

  4. Ils avant de parler. (réfléchir)

  5. Tu ce soir ? (sortir)

  6. Nous demain. (partir)

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Frequently asked questions

What are the two main French -ir verb patterns?
The type (the second group: , , ) uses -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The type (, , ) drops the last consonant of the stem in the singular and uses -s, -s, -t, -ons, -ez, -ent: , . The -iss- in the form is what tells the two apart.
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , / , , , / . The three singular forms sound the same; the plural adds -iss- before the ending. , , , , and follow it exactly.
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , / , , , / . The stem loses its t in and (par-), and the t is back in the plural (part-). ( , ), ( , ), , and work the same way.
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , / , , , / . The stem swings between peu-, pouv- and peuv-, as with ( , , ). The old form mainly in the question ? (may I?).
Why does only have one form?
is impersonal: its subject is always an that means nothing, so the present is only . There is no or fallons. means we have to leave, or one must leave, depending on context.
How can you tell which -ir pattern a verb follows?
Look at the form. With -iss- ( , ) it is the type; with plain -ons ( , ) it is the type. The infinitive alone does not tell you, but most -ir verbs made from an adjective follow : grand gives , .