Conjugate semi-regular -oyer/-ayer/-uyer verbs in the present tense in French (Le Présent)

To conjugate verbs ending in "-ayer/-oyer/-uyer" in Le Présent tense, you follow the normal conjugation of "-ER" verbs, but the "y" becomes an "i" for "je/tu/il/elle/on/ils/elles".

Conjugation of ESSAYER (to try)in Le Présent (Indicatif) in French 

j'essaie I try
tu essaies You try(one person you know well)
il/elle/on essaie He/She/We/one/people try
   
nous essayons We try
vous essayez You try (more than 1 person or formal)
ils/elles essaient They try

 

ATTENTION: For verbs in -AYER, in spoken French (including written dialogue in a play for example) an alternative version where the "y" is kept for all forms is frequently used (and also pronounced differently):

 

Il essaie de dormir.He's trying to sleep.

Il essaye de dormir.He's trying to sleep.

Je paie mon loyer tous les mois.I pay my rent every month.

Je paye mon loyer tous les mois.I pay my rent every month.

Note however that the nous and vous forms always take "y".

 

Common -AYER-OYER-UYER verbs

essayer (to try)
payer (to pay
employer (to use/employ)
envoyer (to send)
nettoyer (to clean)
essuyer (to wipe)

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Il essaie de dormir.He's trying to sleep.
Il essaye de dormir.He's trying to sleep.
Je paie mon loyer tous les mois.I pay my rent every month.
Je paye mon loyer tous les mois.I pay my rent every month.
Nous envoyons une lettre.We're sending a letter.
Ma fille s'ennuie comme un rat mort en ce moment.My daughter is bored to death at the moment.
Tu nettoies ta chambre?Are you cleaning your room?
Vous payez en espèces?Are you paying in cash?
Clever stuff happening!