📖 French 1st Group Verbs – Complete Conjugation Guide
French 1st group verbs are regular verbs ending in -er, such as parler (to speak) and aimer (to love). They follow predictable conjugation patterns, making them the easiest group to learn in French grammar. In this guide, you will learn the rules, see examples, understand spelling changes, and test yourself with interactive exercises.
🧩 What Are 1st Group Verbs?
In French, 1st group verbs are all regular verbs ending in -er (except for aller – to go, which is irregular). They are called "regular" because they follow the same conjugation pattern for all tenses and persons.
These verbs are very common in everyday speech, and mastering them will give you a strong foundation for speaking and writing in French.
| Infinitive (French) | Translation (English) | Example Sentence (FR) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler | to speak | Je parle français. | I speak French. |
| aimer | to love | Nous aimons la musique. | We love music. |
| travailler | to work | Ils travaillent à Paris. | They work in Paris. |
| jouer | to play | Elle joue du piano. | She plays the piano. |
💡 Tip: If a verb ends in -er (except aller), it’s almost certainly a 1st group verb.
✏ Common Endings and Conjugation Pattern
1st group verbs in French all share the same set of endings when conjugated in the present tense. To conjugate a verb, remove the -er from the infinitive and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.
| Subject Pronoun (FR) | Ending | Example (parler – to speak) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | je parle | I speak |
| tu | -es | tu parles | you speak (informal singular) |
| il / elle / on | -e | il parle / elle parle / on parle | he speaks / she speaks / one speaks / we speak (informal) |
| nous | -ons | nous parlons | we speak |
| vous | -ez | vous parlez | you speak (formal singular or plural) |
| ils / elles | -ent | ils parlent / elles parlent | they speak (masculine/mixed) / they speak (feminine) |
💡 Remember: The endings are the same for all 1st group verbs, making them predictable and easy to learn.
📋 Some Common 1st Group Verbs
Here are some frequently used 1st group (-er) verbs in French, along with their meanings in English. Learning these will help you quickly build vocabulary and practice the conjugation pattern.
| Verb (FR) | Meaning (EN) |
|---|---|
| parler | to speak |
| chanter | to sing |
| danser | to dance |
| tourner | to turn |
| briller | to shine |
| aimer | to like / to love |
| chercher | to look for / to search / to dig |
| piller | to plunder / to loot |
| surveiller | to look after |
| commander | to order / to give orders / to command |
| commencer | to begin |
| jouer | to play |
| bouger | to move |
| déménager | to move out |
| aménager | to move in |
| manger | to eat |
| acheter | to buy |
💡 Note: Some of these verbs have small spelling changes in certain forms (e.g., manger, commencer) which will be explained in the section 🛠 Spelling Changes and Pronunciation Rules.
📜 Present Tense Conjugation – Parler (to speak)
The verb parler is a regular 1st group verb. Below are the four main forms you should master: affirmative, negative, interrogative, and interronegative (question + negation).
✅ Affirmative Form
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je parle | I speak |
| tu parles | you speak (informal singular) |
| il parle | he speaks |
| elle parle | she speaks |
| on parle | one speaks / we speak (informal) |
| nous parlons | we speak |
| vous parlez | you speak (formal singular or plural) |
| ils parlent | they speak (masculine/mixed) |
| elles parlent | they speak (feminine) |
🚫 Negative Form
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je ne parle pas | I do not speak |
| tu ne parles pas | you do not speak (informal singular) |
| il ne parle pas | he does not speak |
| elle ne parle pas | she does not speak |
| on ne parle pas | one does not speak / we do not speak (informal) |
| nous ne parlons pas | we do not speak |
| vous ne parlez pas | you do not speak (formal singular or plural) |
| ils ne parlent pas | they do not speak (masculine/mixed) |
| elles ne parlent pas | they do not speak (feminine) |
❓ Interrogative Form
| French | English |
|---|---|
| parlé-je ? | Do I speak? |
| parles-tu ? | Do you speak? (informal singular) |
| parle-t-il ? | Does he speak? |
| parle-t-elle ? | Does she speak? |
| parle-t-on ? | Does one speak? / Do we speak? (informal) |
| parlons-nous ? | Do we speak? |
| parlez-vous ? | Do you speak? (formal singular or plural) |
| parlent-ils ? | Do they speak? (masculine/mixed) |
| parlent-elles ? | Do they speak? (feminine) |
❓🚫 Interronegative Form
| French | English |
|---|---|
| ne parlé-je pas ? | Do I not speak? |
| ne parles-tu pas ? | Do you not speak? (informal singular) |
| ne parle-t-il pas ? | Does he not speak? |
| ne parle-t-elle pas ? | Does she not speak? |
| ne parle-t-on pas ? | Does one not speak? / Do we not speak? (informal) |
| ne parlons-nous pas ? | Do we not speak? |
| ne parlez-vous pas ? | Do you not speak? (formal singular or plural) |
| ne parlent-ils pas ? | Do they not speak? (masculine/mixed) |
| ne parlent-elles pas ? | Do they not speak? (feminine) |
💡 Tip: In everyday speech, the interrogative form is often replaced by a rising intonation in spoken French: Tu parles ? → "You speak?"
🛠 Spelling Changes and Pronunciation Rules
Some 1st group verbs undergo small spelling changes in certain conjugated forms to maintain correct pronunciation or follow French spelling rules. These changes happen mostly before endings starting with -e or -i.
1️⃣ Verbs ending in -ger
Add an extra e before endings starting with -o to keep the soft g sound.
| Verb | Example (FR) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|
| manger | nous mangeons | we eat |
| nager | nous nageons | we swim |
| changer | nous changeons | we change |
2️⃣ Verbs ending in -cer
Change the c to ç before endings starting with -o to keep the soft c sound.
| Verb | Example (FR) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|
| commencer | nous commençons | we start / we begin |
| lancer | nous lançons | we throw |
| placer | nous plaçons | we place |
3️⃣ Verbs ending in -yer
Change the y to i before a silent e in the ending, except in the nous and vous forms.
| Verb | Example (FR) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|
| essayer | j’essaie / nous essayons | I try / we try |
| nettoyer | elle nettoie / vous nettoyez | she cleans / you clean |
| payer | ils paient / nous payons | they pay / we pay |
4️⃣ Verbs ending in -eler / -eter
Some verbs double the l or t before a silent e (e.g., appeler → j’appelle), while others change e to è without doubling.
| Verb | Example (FR) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|
| appeler | j’appelle / nous appelons | I call / we call |
| jeter | il jette / nous jetons | he throws / we throw |
| acheter | j’achète / nous achetons | I buy / we buy |
💡 Tip: These changes are consistent across all tenses, so once you learn them in the present tense, you can apply them everywhere.
💬 Usage Examples in Sentences
Here are some example sentences using 1st group verbs in the present tense. These examples cover different subjects, contexts, and common verbs.
1. Je parle français tous les jours. (I speak French every day.)
2. Tu danses très bien. (You dance very well.)
3. Il mange une pomme après le déjeuner. (He eats an apple after lunch.)
4. Elle joue du piano depuis cinq ans. (She has been playing the piano for five years.)
5. On aime voyager pendant les vacances. (We like to travel during the holidays.)
6. Nous commençons le projet demain matin. (We start the project tomorrow morning.)
7. Vous cherchez vos clés partout. (You are looking for your keys everywhere.)
8. Ils travaillent dans une grande entreprise. (They work in a big company.)
9. Elles préparent un gâteau pour l’anniversaire. (They are preparing a cake for the birthday.)
10. Je regarde la télévision le soir. (I watch TV in the evening.)
💡 Tip: Practice making your own sentences with these verbs to reinforce both vocabulary and conjugation.
📝 Practice Exercises
Practice your knowledge of 1st group verbs with these interactive exercises. Check your answers by expanding the Show answer sections.
✏ 1. Fill in the blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
- Je ______ (parler) anglais couramment. (I speak English fluently)
- Nous ______ (jouer) au tennis chaque samedi. (We play tennis every Saturday)
- Tu ______ (manger) trop vite. (You eat too fast)
- Ils ______ (danser) ensemble. (They dance together)
- Elle ______ (aimer) le chocolat. (She likes chocolate)
💡 Show answers
- 1. parle
- 2. jouons
- 3. manges
- 4. dansent
- 5. aime
❓ 2. Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the correct conjugation of the verb.
-
Nous ______ (chanter) une chanson. (We sing a song)
- a) chante
- b) chantons
- c) chantent
-
Tu ______ (regarder) la télévision ? (You watch TV?)
- a) regarde
- b) regardes
- c) regardons
-
Ils ______ (travailler) tard ce soir. (They work late tonight)
- a) travaille
- b) travaillent
- c) travailles
💡 Show answers
- 1. b) chantons
- 2. b) regardes
- 3. b) travaillent
🔗 3. Match the pairs
Match the French verb with its English meaning.
| French Verb | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. danser | a. to eat |
| 2. parler | b. to play |
| 3. jouer | c. to speak |
| 4. manger | d. to dance |
💡 Show answers
- 1 → d
- 2 → c
- 3 → b
- 4 → a
💡 Tips & Common Mistakes
Mastering 1st group (-er) verbs is generally easy, but there are still some common pitfalls to avoid. Here are useful tips to keep in mind:
- ✅ Remember the endings: The present tense endings are always -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. They never change for regular 1st group verbs.
- ⚠ Silent endings: In je, tu, il/elle/on and ils/elles forms, the final consonants of -e and -ent are not pronounced.
- 🔤 Spelling changes: Watch out for verbs ending in -ger, -cer, -yer, -eler, and -eter where spelling changes occur to keep the correct pronunciation (see 🛠 Spelling Changes and Pronunciation Rules).
- 🚫 Don’t confuse infinitive with conjugated forms: Parler is “to speak” (infinitive), while je parle is “I speak”.
- 🗣 Practice with real-life sentences: Replace the subject pronoun and verb in example sentences to create your own practice material.
- ⏳ Beware of tenses: These endings apply to the present tense only. Other tenses (future, imperfect, past) have different endings.
💡 Consistent daily practice will help you conjugate 1st group verbs automatically and without hesitation.
🔚 Conclusion
1st group verbs are the foundation of French conjugation. Their regular patterns make them easy to learn, and mastering them will give you the confidence to build sentences in many different contexts. Keep practicing daily, and soon, conjugating -er verbs will feel effortless.