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First-Group French Verbs: Conjugation Rules and Common Endings

Learning & Grammer

Examples and explanations of first-group verbs in French | Verbs are one of the most important topics to study when learning a new language: we use them to express all kinds of concepts, and they are so fundamental that a basic sentence can be composed of just one verb.
 

It's like this in every language, and French is certainly no exception: after covering topics like the use and formation of the gerund, today in this Sprachcaffe lesson we'll discover everything about the verbs of the first group in French: what they are, how they're formed, and how to recognize them.

Because yes, the French language divides verbs into different groups, which include all those with similar characteristics and endings: this will be a great advantage for you, because it will give you the opportunity to study them one group at a time and better retain the skills you have acquired.

At the end of the lesson, you'll also find a list of the most common first-group French verbs, so you can begin studying them and their meanings. This will help you build sentences and express increasingly varied concepts with increasing ease and confidence.

First-Group French Verbs: What Are They?

Just as in Italian, verbs in French are divided according to the conjugation they follow, and are therefore distinguished by the different endings they present in the infinitive form.

In French, there are three conjugations:

  1. the first group , which is distinguished by the ending -er;
  2. the second group , which instead presents the ending -ir ;
  3. the third group , which can have different suffixes such as -re , -oir, or again -ir but with irregular conjugation changes.

To give an example, then:

  1. manger is a verb of the first group, which follows the conjugation of verbs in -er;
  2. voir is a verb of the second group, which follows the regular conjugation of verbs in -ir;
  3. prendre is a verb of the third group, because it has an irregular suffix compared to the previous ones (in this case -re).

In light of this, therefore, the verbs in the first group in French are all those verbs that end in -er and generally follow a regular conjugation. The first group is the easiest to study, but at the same time it is also very important to do so carefully since it contains many of the most common and widespread verbs in the French language, including many used to describe everyday actions.

When to Use First-Group Verbs in French

Verbs in the first group in French (-er) are among the most common and fundamental in the language. They are used in a variety of contexts and situations.

Here are some of the main circumstances in which they are used:

  1. Everyday actions : Verbs in the first group are often used to describe everyday, habitual actions, such as "parler" (to talk), "manger" (to eat), "regarder" (to look), etc.

    Example:
    Je mange toujours à 8 heures. = I always eat at eight o'clock sharp.
  2. Describing habits: They are used to talk about habits or routines, both in the present and the imperfect.

    Example:
    Je mange des fruits tous les jours. = I eat fruit every day.
  3. Describing future events : Verbs in the first group are also used to express future actions, especially with the simple future.

    Example:
    J'en parlerai à mon avocat demain. = Tomorrow I will speak to my lawyer about the matter.
  4. Narrate past stories : Although not as common as other verb tenses, verbs in the first group can be used to narrate past events, especially if you want to convey a sense of immediate linearity, as in the present perfect.

    Example:
    L'histoire commence en 1890, lorsqu'un roi… = The story begins in 1890, when a king…
  5. In instructions or commands: In texts or instructions, verbs in the first group are often used to provide direct commands or instructions, such as :

    Fermez
    la porte. = Close the door (literally "close").

Generally, because they are so common and regular, verbs in the first group are among the first that French students learn and are essential for building a solid foundation in the language.

How to Recognize Verbs of the First-Group in French

At this point it should be pretty clear how to recognize verbs in the first group in French: from their distinguishing ending to their infinitive form.

If the verb you are considering ends in "-er", it is very likely part of the first group.

Therefore, if you need to find the group of a verb that you find already conjugated within a sentence, all you have to do is go back to the infinitive form and identify its ending.

For example, if you come across the sentence:

  • Camille studied all her days at university. = Camille studied all day when she went to university.

You can clearly distinguish the verb étudiait , "he studied," which in the infinitive form is étudier . As we can see, its ending is -er, so it is a verb of the first group in French.

Simple, right? At least up to this point. But as we all know, every rule has its exceptions, and when learning a foreign language, things rarely always go smoothly this way!

In fact, it is important to note that not all verbs ending in "-er" are in the first group.

Let's go back to the previous example:

  • Camille studied all her days at university.

In fact, in this sentence there is also another verb: allait , "he was going".

Its infinitive form is aller (to go), but it is an irregular verb that does not follow the regular conjugation pattern of the first group.

To confirm whether a verb is in the first group, you can consult a dictionary or a list of verbs classified by conjugation group.

Or you can decide to memorize all the irregular verbs in French: this can be a really effective strategy, since the list includes not only very important verbs that are not commonly used, but also more. Just think of the two kings of grammar: the verbs "to be" and "to have " are both irregular in French !

However, for regular verbs in the first group, conjugation follows a regular pattern for most tenses and persons. Here's a brief summary of the conjugation of verbs in the first group in the present indicative:

1. Je (I) - add "-e" to the verb stem: Parler → Parle

2. You (you)- add "-es" to the root of the verb: Parler → Parles

3. He/She/It (he/she/it)** - add "-e" to the verb stem: Parler → Parle

4. Nous (we) - add "-ons" to the root of the verb: Parler → Parlons

5. Vous (you) - add "-ez" to the root of the verb: Parler → Parlez

6. Ils/elles (essi/esse)** - add "-ent" to the root of the verb: Parler → Parlent

Here is an example with the verb "parler" (to speak) in the present indicative:

  • I speak (I speak)
  • You speak (you speak)
  • He/she/it speaks (he/she/it speaks)
  • Nous parlons (we talk)
  • Vous parlez (you speak)
  • Ils/elles parlent (they speak)

This is just an example of the present indicative. The conjugation of verbs in the first group follows the same regular pattern for many other verb tenses, such as the future, imperfect, past perfect, etc.

Verbs of the First-Group in French: List and Translation

At this point in the lesson, the theory should be pretty clear: it's a simple topic, with no particular obstacles! Therefore, it's time to discover the verbs in the first group in French.

Naturally, here you'll find a list of the most common and widespread ones, the ones you're likely to encounter in everyday sentences and discussions: it would be impossible to include them all! But studying these should be enough not only to practice and begin speaking French with confidence, but also to learn to recognize first-group French verbs in context.

Because once you understand the mechanism, there's no stopping you!

Here, then, is a list of the most common first-group verbs in French with their corresponding translations. We strongly recommend that you try to memorize them , perhaps dividing them into subgroups, so you always have the word you need and can speak French fluently wherever you are and with anyone.

  1. To speak to speak
  2. Manger - To eat
  3. Chanter - Singing
  4. Regarder - Look
  5. Jouer - To play
  6. Aimer - To Love
  7. Marcher - Walking
  8. Écouter - Listen
  9. Travailler - To Work
  10. Étudier - To study
  11. Habiter - Living
  12. Danser - Dancing
  13. Penser - To think
  14. Buy - Buy
  15. Dessiner - Drawing
  16. Voyager - Traveling
  17. Nager - Swimming
  18. Cuisiner - Cooking
  19. Gagner - Earn/Win
  20. Rêver - Dreaming
  21. Téléphoner - To call
  22. Inviter - To Invite
  23. Dîner - To dine
  24. Écouter - Listen
  25. Visiter - Visit
  26. Rester - To Remain
  27. Tomber - To Fall
  28. Espérer - To hope
  29. Adorer - To adore
  30. Trouver - Finding
  31. Aider - Help
  32. Chanter - Singing
  33. Crier - To shout
  34. Habiter - Living
  35. Fumer - To smoke
  36. Voyager - Traveling
  37. Planter - Planting
  38. Discuss - Discuss
  39. Montrer - Show
  40. Changer - Change
  41. Célébrer - Celebrate
  42. To want - To fly
  43. Rester - To Remain
  44. Oublier - To forget
  45. Observer - To observe
  46. Rencontrer - To Meet
  47. Mémoriser - Memorize
  48. Espérer - To hope
  49. Désirer - To desire
  50. Nettoyer - Clean
  51. Ranger - Tidying Up
  52. Louer - Rent
  53. Détester - To detest
  54. Réparer - Repair
  55. Questionner - To question
  56. Embrasser - Kiss
  57. Plonger - Diving
  58. Navigator - To Navigate
  59. Déjeuner - Lunch
  60. Organizer - Organize

The lesson's over: if you think this topic is clear, how about moving on to the next one? We'll be talking about prepositions in French, both simple and complex !

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