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French grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1-A2

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Test yourself (26 questions)

French -re Verbs: Present Tense Conjugation Chart

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Regular French -re verbs like drop the -re and add -s, -s, nothing, -ons, -ez, -ent: , , . Most everyday -re verbs are irregular, but they come in families. Learn and you have and ; learn and you have .

This is the third of three present-tense primers; the others cover regular -er verbs and -ir verbs. The French conjugation overview takes every group through the other tenses.

endingsingular stemplural stemprenn- (ils only)What do the colours mean?
Subjectattendre (regular)prendremettre
/ j'
/ / on
/

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

The regular -re pattern (attendre-type)

Drop the -re and add the ending. The form takes no ending: it is the bare stem.

il attend, he waits: the stem alone
SubjectEndingattendre (to wait)
/ j'-s
-s
/ / on(no ending)
-
-ez
/ -ent
  • . - I'm waiting for the bus. ( already means wait for: no pour.)
  • ? - Can you hear the music?
  • . - She's losing her keys.
  • . - They're selling their car.

Seven common verbs follow it:

VerbEnglishil form
to wait for
to hear
to give back
to lose
to sell
to answer
to go down

Not every -dre verb is regular. The -indre verbs drop the d: (to fear) gives , and in the plural.

The prendre family

Prendre (to take) is one of the most used verbs in French. Its stem changes twice, and every verb built on it copies it.

endingprend- (singular)pren- (nous, vous)prenn- (ils)What do the colours mean?
Subjectprendrecomprendreapprendre
/ j'
/ / on
/

Two traps: the d disappears for and ( , never prendons), and the n ( ).

  • . - I take the bus.
  • ? - Do you understand?
  • . - We're learning French.
  • . - They're having a coffee.

The mettre family

Mettre (to put, to put on) keeps one t in the singular and has two in the plural.

endingmet- (singular)mett- (plural)What do the colours mean?
Subjectmettrepromettre
/ j'
/ / on
/
  • . - I'm laying the table.
  • . - She puts the book here.
  • . - I promise.
  • ? - May I? (literally: do you allow?)

(to beat) works the same way: , .

The standalone irregulars

These very common -re verbs belong to no family and have to be learned whole. The French irregular verbs chart lines them up with the irregular -ir and -oir verbs.

Verbje, tu, ilnous, vousils
(to be), , ,
(to do), , ,
(to say), , ,
(to read), , lit,
(to write), , ,
(to live), , ,
(to believe), , ,
(to drink), , ,
(to know), , ,
(to follow), , suit,

What to watch:

VerbWatch forExample
? - What are you doing?
? - Sorry, what did you say?
a v in the plural .
three stems .
-ss- in the plural .
= too . - I'm taking a course.

lends its pattern to (to describe); to (to recognise). is for people and places; , the other to know, is for facts: Marie. - I know Marie. . - I know (that).

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
attendt no ending on
prendons the d drops for
prenent double n for
metons two s in the plural
faisez is irregular
disez is irregular

What to do next

  1. Say the regular endings aloud: -s, -s, nothing, -ons, -ez, -ent.
  2. Learn and as families: two paradigms, six verbs.
  3. Drill the irregulars in the French conjugation game.

The 10 verbs in this curriculum

Curriculum
10 words
# Freq Word
173prendreto take
294attendreto wait, to expect
3127mettreto put, to place
4128comprendreto understand
5148entendreto hear
6176perdreto lose
7205rendreto give back, to make, to render
8372répondreto answer; to reply
9449vendreto sell
10558descendreto go down, to descend, to get off

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

Regular like attendre, or one of the irregular families?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Build the word

0/4

Build the present-tense form from its pieces.

  1. j' + attendre

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. nous + prendre

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. ils + prendre

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. ils + mettre

    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. il + attendre

  2. ils + vendre

  3. tu + perdre

  4. nous + prendre

  5. je + mettre

  6. vous + comprendre

Fill in the blank

0/6

Conjugate the verb in brackets to match the subject.

  1. J' le bus. (attendre)

  2. Il toujours ses clés. (perdre)

  3. Nous de la musique. (entendre)

  4. Ils leur voiture. (vendre)

  5. Elle le bus. (prendre)

  6. Vous ? (comprendre)

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Frequently asked questions

What are the regular -re endings, and how does conjugate?
The regular -re endings are -s, -s, (no ending), -ons, -ez, -ent: , , , , , . The quirk is the form: it is the bare stem, , never attendt. , , , , and follow it exactly.
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , , , , . The stem shifts twice: prend- in the singular, pren- for and , and prenn- with a double n for . and copy it: , .
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , , , , . One t in the singular, two in the plural. (to promise) and (to allow) follow it, and so does (to beat): , .
How do you conjugate in the present?
, , , , , . breaks the usual -ez ending; only three common verbs do that: , , . Learn it as a one-off.
How do you tell from apart from from ?
From context alone, because both verbs give . means I am tired (); means I am taking a French course (). What comes after the verb settles it.
Are most French -re verbs regular?
No. A useful group follows (, , , , , , ), but many of the commonest -re verbs are irregular: , , , , , , . The irregulars come in families, so learning one often gives you three.