Most verb lists are either too short to be useful or so long that nobody reads past the letter B. This one stops at 100, which is roughly what it takes to talk about your day, your work and your weekend without reaching for a dictionary.
The verbs are grouped by how they conjugate rather than alphabetically, because that is the order in which they are worth learning: one pattern at a time. Every row gives the infinitive, the English meaning, and the je and nous forms in the présent, which are the two that reveal the pattern. If nous looks nothing like je, the verb is irregular.
Reading a pattern and producing it are two different skills, and only the second one shows up in a conversation. Ten of the verbs on this page run as a free conjugation round: you type the présent form, it is corrected straight away, and anything you miss comes back before the round ends. The ten are parler, être, avoir, aller, finir, prendre, faire, pouvoir, attendre and vouloir, so the three regular patterns and the heaviest irregulars are all in there.
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The twelve-week French plan
A week-by-week plan for the next three months, built around the hours you actually have rather than the hours you wish you had.
- Three routes, from twenty minutes a day to an hour, week by week
- What to do with input and what to do with output, and why they differ
- How to tell you have moved, without waiting for an exam to say so
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The 12 verbs that carry the language
Learn these before anything else. They are all irregular, they are the most frequent verbs in French, and several of them build other tenses: avoir and être form the passé composé, aller forms the futur proche.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| être | to be | je suis | nous sommes |
| avoir | to have | j'ai | nous avons |
| aller | to go | je vais | nous allons |
| faire | to do / to make | je fais | nous faisons |
| dire | to say / to tell | je dis | nous disons |
| pouvoir | can / to be able to | je peux | nous pouvons |
| vouloir | to want | je veux | nous voulons |
| devoir | must / to have to | je dois | nous devons |
| savoir | to know (a fact) | je sais | nous savons |
| venir | to come | je viens | nous venons |
| prendre | to take | je prends | nous prenons |
| mettre | to put / to wear | je mets | nous mettons |
34 regular -er verbs
Nine French verbs out of ten are -er verbs, and they all take the same six endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. One pattern learned, 34 verbs unlocked.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler | to speak | je parle | nous parlons |
| manger | to eat | je mange | nous mangeons |
| aimer | to like / to love | j'aime | nous aimons |
| travailler | to work | je travaille | nous travaillons |
| écouter | to listen | j'écoute | nous écoutons |
| regarder | to watch / to look at | je regarde | nous regardons |
| chanter | to sing | je chante | nous chantons |
| jouer | to play | je joue | nous jouons |
| habiter | to live (somewhere) | j'habite | nous habitons |
| chercher | to look for | je cherche | nous cherchons |
| acheter | to buy | j'achète | nous achetons |
| donner | to give | je donne | nous donnons |
| trouver | to find | je trouve | nous trouvons |
| porter | to wear / to carry | je porte | nous portons |
| montrer | to show | je montre | nous montrons |
| demander | to ask | je demande | nous demandons |
| commencer | to start / to begin | je commence | nous commençons |
| appeler | to call | j'appelle | nous appelons |
| essayer | to try | j'essaie | nous essayons |
| danser | to dance | je danse | nous dansons |
| marcher | to walk | je marche | nous marchons |
| visiter | to visit | je visite | nous visitons |
| arriver | to arrive | j'arrive | nous arrivons |
| entrer | to enter / to come in | j'entre | nous entrons |
| rester | to stay / to remain | je reste | nous restons |
| tomber | to fall | je tombe | nous tombons |
| rentrer | to come home / to go back | je rentre | nous rentrons |
| penser | to think | je pense | nous pensons |
| oublier | to forget | j'oublie | nous oublions |
| fermer | to close | je ferme | nous fermons |
| payer | to pay | je paie | nous payons |
| rencontrer | to meet | je rencontre | nous rencontrons |
| aider | to help | j'aide | nous aidons |
| étudier | to study | j'étudie | nous étudions |
10 regular -ir verbs
The second pattern: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The double s of the plural is what makes them recognisable, and what most learners drop.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| finir | to finish | je finis | nous finissons |
| choisir | to choose | je choisis | nous choisissons |
| réussir | to succeed / to pass | je réussis | nous réussissons |
| grandir | to grow up | je grandis | nous grandissons |
| remplir | to fill | je remplis | nous remplissons |
| obéir | to obey | j'obéis | nous obéissons |
| réfléchir | to think / to reflect | je réfléchis | nous réfléchissons |
| nourrir | to feed / to nourish | je nourris | nous nourrissons |
| vieillir | to age / to grow old | je vieillis | nous vieillissons |
| ralentir | to slow down | je ralentis | nous ralentissons |
6 regular -re verbs
The third pattern: -s, -s, nothing, -ons, -ez, -ent. The third person has no ending at all, which is why il attend ends in a silent d.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| vendre | to sell | je vends | nous vendons |
| attendre | to wait | j'attends | nous attendons |
| répondre | to answer / to reply | je réponds | nous répondons |
| entendre | to hear | j'entends | nous entendons |
| perdre | to lose | je perds | nous perdons |
| rendre | to give back / to make | je rends | nous rendons |
24 irregular verbs you meet early
These do not follow any of the three patterns, so each one is learned as a block. They are on this list because they turn up in the first months, not because they are easy.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| voir | to see | je vois | nous voyons |
| connaître | to know (a person/place) | je connais | nous connaissons |
| sortir | to go out | je sors | nous sortons |
| partir | to leave | je pars | nous partons |
| lire | to read | je lis | nous lisons |
| écrire | to write | j'écris | nous écrivons |
| ouvrir | to open | j'ouvre | nous ouvrons |
| tenir | to hold / to keep | je tiens | nous tenons |
| apprendre | to learn | j'apprends | nous apprenons |
| comprendre | to understand | je comprends | nous comprenons |
| recevoir | to receive | je reçois | nous recevons |
| croire | to believe | je crois | nous croyons |
| suivre | to follow | je suis | nous suivons |
| vivre | to live | je vis | nous vivons |
| offrir | to offer / to give (a gift) | j'offre | nous offrons |
| dormir | to sleep | je dors | nous dormons |
| courir | to run | je cours | nous courons |
| boire | to drink | je bois | nous buvons |
| envoyer | to send | j'envoie | nous envoyons |
| rire | to laugh | je ris | nous rions |
| devenir | to become | je deviens | nous devenons |
| revenir | to come back | je reviens | nous revenons |
| mourir | to die | je meurs | nous mourons |
| naître | to be born | je nais | nous naissons |
14 reflexive verbs for the day
A reflexive verb carries a pronoun that changes with the subject: je me lève, nous nous levons. They describe most of what you do to yourself in a day, and they all take être in the passé composé.
| French | English | Present (je) | Present (nous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| se lever | to get up | je me lève | nous nous levons |
| se coucher | to go to bed | je me couche | nous nous couchons |
| se réveiller | to wake up | je me réveille | nous nous réveillons |
| s'habiller | to get dressed | je m'habille | nous nous habillons |
| se laver | to wash oneself | je me lave | nous nous lavons |
| se brosser | to brush (teeth/hair) | je me brosse | nous nous brossons |
| se préparer | to get ready | je me prépare | nous nous préparons |
| se promener | to go for a walk | je me promène | nous nous promenons |
| s'appeler | to be called / to introduce oneself | je m'appelle | nous nous appelons |
| s'amuser | to have fun | je m'amuse | nous nous amusons |
| se reposer | to rest | je me repose | nous nous reposons |
| se dépêcher | to hurry | je me dépêche | nous nous dépêchons |
| s'excuser | to apologize | je m'excuse | nous nous excusons |
| se rappeler | to remember | je me rappelle | nous nous rappelons |
Which of them take être in the passé composé
Almost every French verb forms the past with avoir. These are the exceptions, the ones that take être, and they have to be learned as a closed set because nothing in their meaning announces it. 3 of them are not in the 100 above, and they are marked as such: they complete the series. Every reflexive verb in the previous table takes être too.
| Verb | English | Passé composé |
|---|---|---|
| aller | to go | je suis allé(e) |
| arriver | to arrive | je suis arrivé(e) |
| entrer | to enter / to come in | je suis entré(e) |
| rentrer | to come home / to go back | je suis rentré(e) |
| rester | to stay / to remain | je suis resté(e) |
| tomber | to fall | je suis tombé(e) |
| partir | to leave | je suis parti(e) |
| sortir | to go out | je suis sorti(e) |
| venir | to come | je suis venu(e) |
| devenir | to become | je suis devenu(e) |
| revenir | to come back | je suis revenu(e) |
| naître | to be born | je suis né(e) |
| mourir | to die | je suis mort(e) |
| monter | to go up / to climb (not in the 100 above) | je suis monté(e) |
| descendre | to go down / to get off (not in the 100 above) | je suis descendu(e) |
| retourner | to return / to go back (not in the 100 above) | je suis retourné(e) |
Reading a list is not knowing a verb
A list like this is a reference, not a method. You can read it twice and still hesitate the moment you have to produce nous commençons out loud, because recognising a form and retrieving it are two different skills.
The way to turn one into the other is to type the forms rather than read them. There is a free round of ten questions on this site that does exactly that, built on the verbs above: it corrects you as you type, and hands you back whatever you got wrong before the round ends.
The illustrated poster: 22 verbs, one per letter
The free PDF at the bottom of this page is a different exercise: one verb per letter of the alphabet, from A to V, each with a scene and a sentence. Six of them are not in the list above, because the alphabet asked for them and not frequency.
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aimer | to love | Elle aime sa famille et ses amis. |
| boire | to drink | Il boit un verre d'eau. |
| courir | to run | Il court très vite dans le parc. |
| danser | to dance | Elle danse sur la musique. |
| écouter | to listen | Elle écoute une nouvelle chanson. |
| faire | to make, to do | Il fait de la peinture. |
| gagner | to win | Il gagne un trophée. |
| habiter | to live | Elle habite à la campagne. |
| inviter | to invite | Elle invite ses amis. |
| jouer | to play | Ils jouent à un jeu de société. |
| klaxonner | to honk | Il klaxonne la voiture devant. |
| lire | to read | Il lit un livre intéressant. |
| manger | to eat | Elle mange un bon repas. |
| nager | to swim | Il nage dans la piscine. |
| ouvrir | to open | Elle ouvre un joli cadeau. |
| penser | to think | Il pense à ses vacances. |
| quitter | to leave | Elle quitte la maison. |
| regarder | to watch | Il regarde la télévision. |
| sauter | to jump | Elle saute de joie. |
| travailler | to work | Il travaille sur son projet. |
| utiliser | to use | Elle utilise son ordinateur. |
| visiter | to visit | Ils visitent un musée. |
How to work through the list
Take one table at a time, not one hundred verbs at once. The twelve irregulars first, because everything else leans on them. Then the -er table, which is the cheapest win in the French language: one set of endings and 34 verbs are yours.
Then put each verb into a sentence about your own life. A verb you have used once about yourself is worth ten you have only read. A starting point: J'aime lire et écouter de la musique. Le week-end, je cours au parc, je retrouve mes amis et nous mangeons ensemble. Rewrite that with your own habits and you have already used six of them.