The 20 Most Common French Verbs You Need To Know

Common -ER verbs in French

Learning how to conjugate -ER verbs in French will be the easiest of all. To conjugate them in the present tense, you’ll drop the -ER off the end of the verb and replace it with the ending that matches the subject of the sentence. Aside from aller, there are very few irregular -ER verbs.

Aimer

One of the first verbs you’ll learn in French is aimer (to like). You may already recognize this verb from the phrase je t’aime or “I love you.” One of the best (and most intuitive) ways to learn a new language is by talking about the things that you like and dislike. When you start with these basic sentences, you’ll get comfortable with subject-verb agreement and start to learn vocabulary about the things that interest you.

• J’aime le chocolat chaud. = I love hot chocolate.
• Elle aime chanter. = She likes to sing.
• Ils aiment jouer aux jeux vidéo. = They like to play video games.

Penser

Penser means “to think.” There are three main ways that you’ll use penser in a sentence. 

The first is penser followed by the infinitive form of another verb.

• Je pense pouvoir finir mon devoir. = I think I can finish my homework.

The second is penser followed by que, which means “to think that” when they’re used together.

• Il pense que la glace au chocolat est la meilleure. = He thinks that chocolate ice cream is the best.

And the third is penser followed by à, meaning “to think of” or “to think about.”

• Nous pensons au dîner. = We’re thinking about dinner.

Trouver

Trouver means “to find.” When used with a reflexive pronoun, such as me (myself), trouver can be an alternative to “I think.”

• Vous trouvez votre clé. = You found your key.
• Je me trouve plus vieille. = I think that I look older. (literal translation: I find myself older.)

Regarder

Regarder means “to watch.” It indicates the act of watching, whether that’s a TV show or a performance. Depending on the context, you may want to use the more passive verb voir (to see) instead.

• Je regarde la télé. = I’m watching tv.
• Ils regardent le match. = They are watching the game.

Common -IR verbs in French

You’ll also need to know how to conjugate French -IR verbs in the present tense. The key is to drop off the ending of the verb and replace it with the ending matching the subject of the sentence. It’s worth noting that though the last two letters are the same, -IR verbs are conjugated differently than -OIR verbs, which are irregular.

Venir

Venir means “to come.” There are two main ways you’ll use venir in a sentence.

The first is venir on its own.

• Ils viennent pour déjeuner. = They are coming for lunch.

The second is venir followed by de, which means “to come from.” You’ll use this to tell people where you’re from!

• Je viens des États-Unis. = I am from the United States.

Common -RE verbs in French

To conjugate French -RE verbs in the present tense, you’ll drop off the ending of the verb and replace it with the ending matching the subject of the sentence. However, there are plenty of -RE verbs in French that are irregular, including être. Knowing which -RE verbs are regular or irregular will become easier as you practice.

Suivre

Suivre means “to follow.” 

• Cette route suit la rivière. = This road follows the river.
• Les canetons suivent leur mère. = The ducklings are following their mother.

You’ll notice that the present tense of suivre for je and tu is spelled the same as the present tense of être. Depending on the context of the sentence you’ll be able to differentiate between the two.

Prendre

Prendre means “to take.” This verb comes in handy when describing methods of transportation.

• Je prends le metro. = I’m taking the subway.
• Tu prends ton livre. = You are taking your book.

Common -OIR verbs in French

There are many French verbs that end in -OIR, and all of them are irregular. -OIR verbs all have similar conjugations, but since every -OIR verb is irregular there will be small differences among them.

Devoir

Devoir means “to have to.” Along with describing actions that you must take, devoir will often be used in commands. It is usually followed by the infinitive form of another verb.

• Il doit travailler. = He has to work.
• Tu dois finir ton repas. = You must finish your meal.

Colloquially, le devoir means “homework.”

• Je dois finir mes devoirs. = I have to finish my homework.

Savoir

Savoir means “to know,” but specifically, to know facts or how to do things. It’s the kind of knowledge that is certain. On the other hand, connaître—the other French verb that means “to know”—refers to knowledge with a sense of familiarity, like  knowing someone you’ve met personally or knowledge of a type of music.

A good way to remember the difference is to consider the commonly used phrase savoir-faire or “know-how.” In English, savoir-faire refers to someone having practical “street-smarts” or a certain knowledge of how to accomplish tasks easily.

• Je sais qui est le président. = I know who the president is.
• Je ne sais pas. = I don’t know. 
• Mes sœurs savent où est le restaurant. = My sisters know where the restaurant is.

Pouvoir

Pouvoir means “to be able to.” Most often pouvoir is used to create sentences expressing things that you can and can not do.

• Elle ne peut pas venir aujourd’hui. = She can’t come today. 
• Nous pouvons jouer avec vous. = We can play with you.

Ready to say j’aime Français with Rosetta Stone? 

Now that you know the most common verbs, take your French language learning to the next level with Rosetta Stone. Start by learning basic words and phrases, reviewing how to say hello, or speaking with a Rosetta Stone tutor to practice your pronunciation. With Rosetta Stone, you’ll learn French naturally with an immersive approach to learning.