French verbs in IR in the present tense

French conjugation lesson 11: French verbs in IR in the present tense

Knowing the conjugation of the French verbs in IR in the present indicative is very important. Indeed, verbs in IR are widely used in French. It is imperative to learn to conjugate them correctly from the start of your French learning. In French, verbs are classified into three groups. The first group is made up of verbs that end in ER in the infinitive, such as the French verbs “parler” or “aimer”. For all intents and purposes: our lesson on conjugation of French verbs in ER (1st group) in the present indicative.

The second group is made up of verbs that end in IR like the French verbs “finir” or “choisir”. The third group is made up of verbs that end with other infinitive endings like OIR or DRE, but some also end with IR like the French verb “dormir”. To simplify your learning of the French verbs in IR in the present indicative, we have grouped them together in this lesson which contains the French verbs in IR of the 2nd and 3rd groups. The video below will teach you how to conjugate verbs in IR in the present indicative in French:

French verbs in IR of the 2nd group in the present tense

French IR verbs are verbs that end with “IR”. That is, verbs whose last two letters are "ir" in the infinitive such as the French verbs "finir" and "choisir". For the French IR verbs of the second group, in the present indicative, depending on the subject, the ending of the conjugated verbs will be:

is, is, it, issons, issez ou issent

Subject form	Subject personal pronoun	Ending
1st person singular	Je	is
2nd person singular	Tu	is
3rd person singular	Il ou Elle ou On	it
1st person plural	Nous	issons
2nd person plural	Vous	issez
3rd person plural	Ils ou Elles	issent

To learn the conjugation of the French verbs in IR of the second group according to the French subject personal pronouns (je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles), repeat after the teacher. When the teacher says “Je finis”, say “Je finis”, when the teacher says “Tu finis”, say “Tu finis”, when the teacher says “Il finit”, say “Il finit”, etc., up to “Elles finissent”. Thus, you will be able to understand orally and pronounce the conjugation of the French verb “finir” and more broadly of the French verbs in IR of the second group in the present tense. To do well, watch the video several times, repeating after the teacher. To write and read this conjugation properly, copy the example below several times:

Example of conjugation of a French verb in IR from the second group in the present indicative with the French verb “finir”:

Je finis
Tu finis
Il finit / Elle finit / On finit
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils finissent / Elles finissent

This conjugation is valid for all the French verbs in IR of the second group in the present tense. To be sure that a French verb in IR is of the 2nd group, its 1st person plural (nous) ending must be "issons". For example: nous finissons, nous choisissons, nous réfléchissons, nous réussissons, etc. Here is a list of the main French verbs in IR of the 2nd group:

accomplir, adoucir, affaiblir, agir, alourdir, amincir, anéantir, aplatir, arrondir, appauvrir, applaudir, approfondir, arrondir, attendrir, atterrir, avertir, bâtir, blanchir, bondir, démolir, désobéir, divertir, durcir, éblouir, éclaircir, élargir, engloutir, enrichir, ensevelir, envahir, épaissir, établir, évanouir, faiblir, finir, flétrir, fleurir, fournir, fraîchir, franchir, garantir, garnir, gémir, grandir, gravir, grossir, guérir, haïr, intervenir, investir, jaillir, jaunir, jouir, maigrir, meurtrir, mincir, moisir, mugir, munir, noircir, nourrir, obéir, pâlir, périr, pétrir, pourrir, punir, raccourcir, rafraîchir, rajeunir, ralentir, réagir, réfléchir, refroidir, rejaillir, remplir, répartir, ressaisir, rétablir, rétrécir, réunir, réussir, rôtir, rougir, rugir, saisir, salir, subir, surgir, ternir, tiédir, trahir, unir, vieillir, vomir.

For all these French verbs in IR of the 2nd group, in the present tense, depending on the subject, the ending will be: is, is, it, issons, issez ou issent.

Example with the French verb “accomplir” :

J’accomplis
Tu accomplis
Il accomplit / Elle accomplit / On accomplit
Nous accomplissons
Vous accomplissez
Ils accomplissent / Elles accomplissent

We strongly recommend that you learn by heart the conjugation of the French verbs in IR from the second group in the present indicative, both spoken and written.

The French verbs in IR of the 3rd group in the present tense

Some verbs of the 3rd group end with IR. We have divided them into 3 categories:

1) The French verbs like cueillir, offrir, ouvrir ou souffrir, the conjugation of which is the same as that of the first group. That is, they consist of the stem (the infinitive without “ir”) plus, depending on the subject, the endings: e, es, e, ons, ez, ent.

For example, with the French verb “ouvrir” :

J’ouvre
Tu ouvres
Il ouvre / Elle ouvre / On ouvre
Nous ouvrons
Vous ouvrez
Ils ouvrent / Elles ouvrent

Here is the list of the French verbs in IR of the 3rd group which conjugate according to this model:

accueillir, assaillir, couvrir, cueillir, découvrir, entrouvrir, offrir, ouvrir, recouvrir, recueillir, redécouvrir, rentrouvrir, rouvrir, saillir, souffrir et tressaillir.

2) The French verbs like dormir, mentir or partir :

a) In the singular (je, tu, il, elle, on), they are made up of the first 3 letters of the stem: dor for dormir, men for mentir, par for partir + endings s, s and t.

b) In the plural (nous, vous, ils, elles), they consist of the stem: dorm for dormir, ment for mentir, part for partir + endings ons, ez, ent.

Example with the French verb "dormir":

Je dors
Tu dors
Il dort / Elle dort / On dort
Nous dormons
Vous dormez
Ils dorment / Elles dorment

Example with the French verb "partir":

Je pars
Tu pars
Il part / Elle part / On part
Nous partons
Vous partez
Ils partent / Elles partent

3) French irregular verbs like "venir"

Je viens
Tu viens
Il vient / Elle vient
Nous venons
Vous venez
Ils viennent / Elles viennent

The derivatives of the French verb venir (devenir, revenir, intervenir, se souvenir, etc.) and the French verb tenir and its derivatives (contenir, détenir, maintenir, obtenir, etc.) are conjugated according to the same model.

Example with the French verb "obtenir":

J’obtiens
Tu obtiens
Il obtient / Elle obtient
Nous obtenons
Vous obtenez
Ils obtiennent / Elles obtiennent

There are other French irregular verbs in IR with subtleties of conjugation in the present tense. You will learn them by practicing the French language.

Once you have successfully mastered this conjugation lesson on the French verbs in IR in the present tense, you can move on to the next conjugation lesson:

French conjugation lesson 12: the near future tense in French

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