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Verbs are an essential part of learning any foreign language. Without them, we can't make a sentence, explain our actions or thoughts.
Interestingly enough, many language learners claim that memorizing verbs is harder than memorizing nouns and adjectives. Perhaps the explanation is in the fact that even though they explain something concrete, verbs are abstract words.
Having in mind that memorizing French verbs can be challenging, we've rounded up the 55 most commonly used French verbs you can use in different situations when talking to French people.
Let's dive in.
Être - to Be
The basic and the first verb anyone learns in a foreign language is the verb to be.
Almost in every language, and, therefore, in French, too, this verb is irregular.
Besides its basic meaning, this verb can also be used as a supportive verb for some complex tenses.
The conjugation in the present tense of the verb etre is like this:
Je suis - I am Nous sommes- We are
Tu es- You are Vous êtes- You are
Il est- He is Ils sont- They are (for male)
Elle est- She is Elles sont- They are (for female)
Avoir - to Have
The second most commonly used French verb is the verb ‘avoir’ or in English, ‘to have.’
Like the previous verb, this one is also a part of some complex tenses, and just like ‘être,’ this one is also irregular.
J’ai- I have Nous avons- We have
Tu as- You have Vous avez- You have
Il/Elle a- He/ She has Ils/ Elles ont- They have
Aller - to Go
Another quite commonly used French verb, and also an irregular one is the verb ‘aller’ in the meaning ‘to go.’
Don’t think that French verbs are irregular only. Oh no! There are many regular and quite commonly used ones. This is just a coincidence.
What also makes this verb interesting is its conjugation.
See for yourself how the verb ‘aller’ is conjugated in the present tense:
Je vais- I go Nous allons- We go
Tu vas- You go Vous allez- You go
Il/ Elle va- He/ She goes Ils/ Elles vont- They go
Faire - to Do
The verb ‘faire’ is very useful because not only can you use it in the meanings ‘to do’ or ‘to make’ but also as an imperative and commands.
And this one is also irregular, which you can see in the following lines.
Je fais- I do/ make Nous faisons- We do/ make
Tu fais- You do/ make Vous faites- You do/ make
Il/Elle fait- He/ She does/makes Ils/ Elles font- They do/ make
Manger - to Eat
French is a synonym for amazing food and culture related to Mediterranean dishes and tasty meals.
Therefore, it is essential for us to know to use the verb ‘manger,’ that is, ‘to eat.’
Parler - to Speak
The verb ‘parler’ belongs to the group of regular verbs that end in -er.
It is one of the most commonly used verbs in French, especially in the well-known sentence ‘Parlez-vous français?’ (Do you speak French?).
And while we talk about regular verbs, around 90% percent of all French verbs are regular, which is pretty encouraging in learning them.
The verbs that end in -er are conjugated in the present tense thanks to the following suffixes.
Je -e Nous -ons
Tu -es Vous -ez
Il/Elle -e Ils/ Elles -ent
Pouvoir - to Be Able to
Even though its general meaning in English is ‘to be able to,’ the verb ‘pouvoir’ is the perfect equivalent of the verb ‘can.’
It is often used in conditionals for requests.
Like other commonly used verbs, the verb 'pouvoir' is also irregular.
Je peux- I can Nous pouvons- We can
Tu peux- You can Vous pouvez- You can
Il/ Elle peut- He/ She can Ils/ Elles peuvent- They can
Savoir - to Know
If you want to say that you know something, in French, you have to use the verb ‘savoir.’
Like others, the verb ‘savoir’ is irregular, which means that its conjugation is a little bit different from the regular ones.
Je sais- I know Nous savons- We know
Tu sais- You know Vous savez- You know
Il/ Elle sait- He/ She knows Ils/ Elles savent- They know
Venir - to Come
The ‘verb’ venir means ‘to come’ and just like its other common companions, it is also irregular.
Here’s the conjugation in the present tense.
Je viens- I come Nous venons- We come
Tu viens- You come Vous venez- You come
ll/ Elle vient- He/ She comes Ils/ Elles viennent- They come
Trouver - to Find
Has someone said that we are learning only irregular verbs here?
To prove you otherwise, we want to mention one common verb, which isn’t so hard to remember. The verb ‘trouver’ in English, ‘to find’ is an -er verb, regular verb, so you already know how to conjugate it.
As you can see, these most commonly used French verbs actually aren't that hard to remember.
One more thing that facilitates the whole learning process is that, even though English and French are two different languages, they share many similar words and phrases. Many French words are used in English, verbs as well, as you can see from the list by yourself.
And with some entertaining and unconventional ways to learn French and memorize words and phrases with flashcard apps, for example, the whole learning path will be much easier.
Therefore, French tutors will only be there to help you practice and master your conversational skills.
