Irregular Verbs: Present Tense in French
This section explains Present Tense Irregular Verbs in French. In French, some verbs don’t follow the regular conjugation patterns. These verbs are called irregular verbs. You will need to memorise their unique forms in the present tense. Irregular verbs are crucial for both Foundation and Higher Tier students, as they are often used in everyday speech.
Common Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
Être (to be)
Être is one of the most important irregular verbs in French. Here’s how it is conjugated in the present tense:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je suis | I am | Je suis étudiant. | I am a student. |
| Tu es | You are (informal) | Tu es mon ami. | You are my friend. |
| Il/elle/on est | He/she/one is | Il est professeur. | He is a teacher. |
| Nous sommes | We are | Nous sommes contents. | We are happy. |
| Vous êtes | You are (formal/plural) | Vous êtes en retard. | You are late. |
| Ils/elles sont | They are | Ils sont à l’école. | They are at school. |
Avoir (to have)
Avoir is another essential irregular verb. Here is the conjugation in the present tense:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| J’ai | I have | J’ai un frère. | I have a brother. |
| Tu as | You have (informal) | Tu as une idée. | You have an idea. |
| Il/elle/on a | He/she/one has | Elle a un chat. | She has a cat. |
| Nous avons | We have | Nous avons une voiture. | We have a car. |
| Vous avez | You have (formal/plural) | Vous avez une maison. | You have a house. |
| Ils/elles ont | They have | Ils ont un projet. | They have a project. |
Aller (to go)
Aller is used frequently in French, and its present tense conjugation is irregular. Here is how it is conjugated:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je vais | I go | Je vais au cinéma. | I go to the cinema. |
| Tu vas | You go (informal) | Tu vas à l’école. | You go to school. |
| Il/elle/on va | He/she/one goes | Il va en France. | He goes to France. |
| Nous allons | We go | Nous allons à la plage. | We go to the beach. |
| Vous allez | You go (formal/plural) | Vous allez à la piscine. | You go to the pool. |
| Ils/elles vont | They go | Ils vont au parc. | They go to the park. |
Irregular Verbs with Stem Changes
Some irregular verbs have a stem change in the present tense. The conjugation may appear similar to regular verbs, but the stem of the verb changes. Here are some examples:
Faire (to do/make)
Faire is an irregular verb because its stem changes in the present tense:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je fais | I do/make | Je fais mes devoirs. | I do my homework. |
| Tu fais | You do/make (informal) | Tu fais du sport. | You do sport. |
| Il/elle/on fait | He/she/one does/makes | Elle fait une pause. | She makes a break. |
| Nous faisons | We do/make | Nous faisons un gâteau. | We make a cake. |
| Vous faites | You do/make (formal/plural) | Vous faites un voyage. | You make a trip. |
| Ils/elles font | They do/make | Ils font du shopping. | They do shopping. |
Venir (to come)
Venir is another verb with a stem change:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je viens | I come | Je viens de France. | I come from France. |
| Tu viens | You come (informal) | Tu viens de l’école. | You come from school. |
| Il/elle/on vient | He/she/one comes | Elle vient avec nous. | She comes with us. |
| Nous venons | We come | Nous venons à la fête. | We come to the party. |
| Vous venez | You come (formal/plural) | Vous venez demain. | You come tomorrow. |
| Ils/elles viennent | They come | Ils viennent de loin. | They come from afar. |
Irregular -IR Verbs
Some -ir verbs are irregular in the present tense, like dormir (to sleep) and partir (to leave). These verbs follow a slightly different pattern from regular -ir verbs.
Dormir (to sleep)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je dors | I sleep | Je dors huit heures par nuit. | I sleep eight hours a night. |
| Tu dors | You sleep (informal) | Tu dors bien. | You sleep well. |
| Il/elle/on dort | He/she/one sleeps | Elle dort sur le canapé. | She sleeps on the sofa. |
| Nous dormons | We sleep | Nous dormons dans une chambre. | We sleep in a room. |
| Vous dormez | You sleep (formal/plural) | Vous dormez tard. | You sleep late. |
| Ils/elles dorment | They sleep | Ils dorment à l’hôtel. | They sleep at the hotel. |
Partir (to leave)
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je pars | I leave | Je pars à 7 heures. | I leave at 7 o’clock. |
| Tu pars | You leave (informal) | Tu pars demain. | You leave tomorrow. |
| Il/elle/on part | He/she/one leaves | Elle part en vacances. | She leaves on holiday. |
| Nous partons | We leave | Nous partons ce soir. | We leave this evening. |
| Vous partez | You leave (formal/plural) | Vous partez bientôt. | You leave soon. |
| Ils/elles partent | They leave | Ils partent en train. | They leave by train. |
Key Points to Remember:
- Être (to be) and avoir (to have) are highly irregular and are used in many everyday expressions and verb tenses.
- Aller (to go) is used for expressing movement or future intentions (as a near future construction).
- Some -ir verbs, like faire, venir, and dormir, have irregular conjugations in the present tense.
- Remember that many irregular verbs are essential for conversation and understanding French fluently.
Higher Tier: More Complex Sentences with Irregular Verbs
At the Higher Tier, you might need to use irregular verbs in more complex sentences. Practice by incorporating them into various contexts:
Examples:
- Je vais à l’école, mais je vais aussi au cinéma ce soir.
- Translation: I go to school, but I am also going to the cinema this evening.
- Ils viennent de terminer leurs devoirs.
- Translation: They have just finished their homework.
- Nous avons un examen demain, alors nous faisons des révisions.
- Translation: We have an exam tomorrow, so we are doing some revision.
Summary of Key Points:
- Être, avoir, and aller are key irregular verbs that you must know.
- Many -ir verbs, such as faire, venir, dormir, and partir, have irregular present tense forms.
- Use these verbs frequently in speaking and writing to express essential ideas in French.
Practice conjugating these irregular verbs regularly to strengthen your fluency in the present tense.
This videos covers the present tense in French.
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