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?
First-group French verbs are the regular verbs ending in -er, such as parler (to speak) and manger (to eat). They are the largest and most predictable group in French: once you know the pattern, you can conjugate almost any -er verb with confidence. Because this group covers so many everyday actions, it is where most learners begin. In this guide, SPRACHCAFFE explains what defines first-group verbs, how to conjugate them in the present tense, and gives you a clean list of common -er verbs, plus examples and an exercise with answers.
What are first-group verbs in French?
French sorts verbs into three groups by their infinitive ending and the way they conjugate:
First group: verbs ending in -er, following a regular pattern (parler, manger).
Second group: verbs ending in -ir that take the -iss- stem (finir → nous finissons).
Third group: all irregular verbs, ending in -re, -oir, or irregular -ir (prendre, pouvoir, partir).
So manger is first-group (regular -er), finir is second-group (regular -ir with -iss-), and prendre is third-group (irregular -re). The first group is the easiest to learn and contains many of the most common verbs in daily French.
One exception matters: not every -er verb is first-group.Aller (to go) ends in -er but conjugates irregularly (je vais, not "je alle"), so it belongs to the third group. It is the only irregular -er verb in French.
How to conjugate first-group verbs (present tense)
Regular -er verbs drop the -er ending and add the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent to the stem. Here is parler (to speak) in the present indicative (indicatif présent):
Person
parler
Je
parle
Tu
parles
Il / Elle / On
parle
Nous
parlons
Vous
parlez
Ils / Elles
parlent
The same endings work for the vast majority of -er verbs, which is why this group is the foundation of French conjugation. The pattern also carries into other tenses, including the future and the imperfect.
