How to Learn French Verb Conjugation Groups

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Did you know the French language has about 12,000 verbs?

Thankfully, many that we use in daily French follow consistent conjugation rules. Once you know those rules, French verb conjugation becomes much easier.

So we know which verbs follow which rules, they've been split into three French verb conjugation groups.

In this brief guide, we'll explain what a verb conjugation group is so you can master the basics of French verb conjugation. We'll walk you through all three groups, so you can learn the rules for conjugating verbs in French!

What is a Verb Conjugation Group in French?

French has three verb conjugation groups that dictate which conjugation rules they follow. To know how to conjugate a verb, all you have to do is figure out which group it belongs to. To do so, you need to know two things:

  • The ending of the verb infinitive
  • Whether it is regular or irregular

To find the ending of the verb infinitive, look for the last few letters on the verb's infinitive form. This is often -ER, -IR, -OIR, -DRE or something similar. Once you know that, you can figure out which group a verb belongs to!

But what are the three groups?

1. All -ER Verbs… except aller!

The word "go" doesn't behave itself when conjugated in either English or French - go, goes, and went anyone!?

But besides "aller", almost every verb ending in -ER is a verb that follows regular conjugation rules, those of this first group. These rules are explained in these -ER verb conjugation lessons.

2. Regular -IR Verbs

Verb infinitives ending in -IR are more of a mixed bag. Quite a few are irregular and fall into the third category. But if an -IR verb is regular, it will follow the rules explained in our -IR verb conjugation lessons.

Note that this category does not include -OIR verbs. Why not?

Try saying -OIR and -IR aloud. Don't they make completely different sounds? That's how you know they don't follow the same rules.

Another trick to identifying whether a verb belongs in the regular -IR category is to look for the conjugated ending -ISSONS in the present tense. This unique conjugation only happens to regular -IR verbs. So if you spot an -ISSONS ending, it belongs to this category.

3. Everything Else

The final group is the most difficult for French learners to tackle. It encompasses all -OIR, -DRE, and -RE verbs, as well as irregular -IR verbs and aller.

Each of these verbs follows their own rules. The best way to learn them all is with our French verb conjugation lessons:

How to Get the Tools You Need

French verb conjugation groups are simple to learn, but take lots of work to become second nature. That's why we've developed so many lessons and exercises covering the conjugation groups and their attached rules. But don't forget to use the three-pronged approach:

  1. Learn the rules with the lessons
  2. Practise the rules with the exercises
  3. Test your skills with the kwizzes

Then you'll not only remember the conjugation groups, but how they should affect your everyday speech. For access to all our free resources, sign up for a free Learn French With Alexa and Kwiziq account today!

 

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