Conjugation of regular er verbs in French: one pattern

Conjugation of regular er verbs in French follows one pattern: take the stem, add one of six endings. This page gives the six endings, a full table for parler, the endings you do not hear, the verbs that change spelling and the one -er verb that breaks the pattern. For the method behind any verb, read How to conjugate French verbs. The other regular groups are in -ir verbs and -re verbs.

What is the conjugation of regular er verbs in French?

A regular -er verb is a verb whose infinitive ends in -er and whose je form in the présent ends in -e [3]. The OQLF counts about 6,000 of them, which is more than 90% of French verbs, and says almost all newly created verbs follow this model [3]. Its examples include aimer, chanter and jouer [3].

So one pattern covers most of the language. Learn it once and you can conjugate thousands of verbs in the présent.

How do you conjugate regular er verbs in French?

To conjugate regular er verbs in French, drop -er to get the stem, then add the ending for the subject [2]. The OQLF calls the stem the part before -er in the infinitive [2]. Here are the six endings [1].

In the plural, all regular verbs take -ons, -ez, -ent. In the singular, regular -er verbs take -e, -es, -e, where regular -ir verbs take -s, -s, -t [1]. The -ir pattern has its own page: regular -ir verbs.

What does French er verb conjugation look like for parler?

French er verb conjugation for parler is the stem parl- plus the six endings. Tap the round button to hear the infinitive.

The forms are the OQLF’s rule applied to parler; the OQLF itself gives nous parlons [1][2]. The same table works for chanter, aimer and jouer.

For when to use the présent against other tenses, see French tenses, explained.

Which er verb endings are silent?

The OQLF describes the three singular forms and the third-person plural as the ones where the verb ends in a silent e (e muet) [2].

What spelling changes do regular er verbs have?

Some regular -er verbs change a letter in certain forms, so that the sound stays the same. The OQLF treats them as regular and lists the changes [2]. Here are the four you will meet most.

Manger follows the -ger rule, so the nous form is nous mangeons. The OQLF gives nager and partager as its examples.

Three more notes from the OQLF [2]:

• Verbs in -oyer and -uyer change y to i before a silent e: j’emploie, but nous appuyons.
• Verbs in -ayer may keep the y or change it: je paie or je paye.
• Verbs in -guer keep their u: je blague, nous blaguons.

The OQLF also says that, under the spelling rectifications, verbs in -eler and -eter may be written with a single consonant and an è (il ruisselle or il ruissèle). It keeps appeler and jeter as they are, with the traditional doubling [2][4]. The OQLF considers both the traditional and the rectified spellings correct [4].

Is aller an er verb?

Aller ends in -er but is not a regular -er verb. The OQLF says aller is the only verb ending in -er that is not regular [3]. Its présent has its own forms [1].

Do not build the présent of aller from its stem. Learn the six forms as a set. The rest of its tenses are in Aller conjugation in French.

Try it: four questions on -er verbs

Common mistakes

• Adding -s to the je form. Je parles is wrong. The je ending is -e [1].
• Forgetting the e in -ger verbs. Nous nagons is wrong. It is nous nageons [2].
• Forgetting the cedilla in -cer verbs. Nous commencons is wrong. It is nous commençons [2].
• Treating aller like parler. Il alle is wrong. It is il va [1][3].
• Using the -ir endings on an -er verb. -s, -s, -t belong to regular -ir verbs, not -er verbs [1].
• Relying on a blog’s list, including this one. The official pages change. Check each page’s own date against the date at the top of this one.

For practice after the rules, try French conjugation practice.

Sources