Regular -ER Verbs: AIMER & MANGER

Why This Matters

About 90% of new French verbs you encounter are regular -ER verbs. Learn this one pattern today, and you can conjugate hundreds of verbs immediately — parler, danser, travailler, écouter, regarder, and many more. This is the biggest return on investment in French grammar.

🦝 Remy says: "Think of the -ER pattern as a master key. Once you have it, you can unlock almost any new verb you see. Spot the -ER ending, drop it, add your ending — done! You're already speaking French."

Core Lesson: The -ER Verb Pattern

The Formula

Step 1: Take the infinitive (the dictionary form): parler Step 2: Remove the -ER: parl- Step 3: Add the correct ending based on the subject

| Subject | Ending | Example (parler) | Pronunciation | |

|

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|

| | je | -e | je parle | [juh parl] | | tu | -es | tu parles | [too parl] | | il/elle/on | -e | il parle | [eel parl] | | nous | -ons | nous parlons | [noo par-lohn] | | vous | -ez | vous parlez | [voo par-lay] | | ils/elles | -ent | ils parlent | [eel parl] |

Important: The endings -e, -es, -ent are all silent! Je parle, tu parles, ils parlent all sound the same: [parl].

AIMER — To Like / Love

| Subject | Conjugation | Pronunciation | English | |

|

|

|

| | j' | j'aime | [jhem] | I like | | tu | tu aimes | [too ehm] | you like | | il/elle | il aime | [eel ehm] | he/she likes | | nous | nous aimons | [noo zeh-mohn] | we like | | vous | vous aimez | [voo zeh-may] | you like (formal/plural) | | ils/elles | ils aiment | [eel zehm] | they like |

Note: je + aime = j'aime (drop the e before a vowel)

MANGER — To Eat (One Special Rule)

MANGER follows the regular pattern, except before -ons: add an extra e to keep the g soft.

| Subject | Conjugation | Note | |

|

|

| | je | je mange | regular | | tu | tu manges | regular | | il/elle | il mange | regular | | nous | nous mangeons | extra e to keep [j] sound | | vous | vous mangez | regular | | ils/elles | ils mangent | regular |

This same rule applies to: voyager (to travel), ranger (to tidy), nager (to swim).

Using -ER Verbs in Real Sentences

Positive: J'aime les pâtes. — I like pasta. Negative: Je n'aime pas les tomates. — I don't like tomatoes. Question: Tu aimes danser? — Do you like to dance? Verb + infinitive: Elle aime manger. — She likes to eat.

Common -ER Verbs to Know

| French | English | |

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| | parler | to speak | | habiter | to live (somewhere) | | travailler | to work | | écouter | to listen | | regarder | to watch | | danser | to dance | | étudier | to study | | jouer | to play |

🦝 Remy's trick: "The three silent endings (-e, -es, -ent) are your secret weapon. French spelling looks complicated, but those three forms all sound identical. Say je parle, tu parles, ils parlent — they all sound like [parl]. French listeners use context, not sound, to know who's speaking!"

📝 Exercise 1 — Fill in the Blank

Conjugate the verb in parentheses:

1. Elle _____ (habiter) à Paris.
2. Nous _____ (écouter) de la musique.
3. Tu _____ (aimer) le chocolat?
4. Ils _____ (manger) une pizza.
5. Je _____ (travailler) le lundi.

✅ Answers:

1. Elle habite à Paris.
2. Nous écoutons de la musique.
3. Tu aimes le chocolat?
4. Ils mangent une pizza.
5. Je travaille le lundi.

📝 Exercise 2 — Make a Sentence

1. (We + travel + to France + every year) — voyager
2. (She + doesn't like + to work) — aimer + travailler
3. (I + listen to + music + every day) — écouter

✅ Model answers:

1. Nous voyageons en France chaque année.
2. Elle n'aime pas travailler.
3. J'écoute de la musique tous les jours.

📝 Exercise 3 — Translate

1. He speaks French. → Il parle français.
2. Do you (tu) watch TV? → Tu regardes la télé?
3. They (feminine) eat together. → Elles mangent ensemble.
4. We live in Lyon. → Nous habitons à Lyon.
5. I study every day. → J'étudie tous les jours.

🎯 Today's Challenge

Pick three -ER verbs from the list above that describe something you actually do. Write one sentence for each, in the first person (je). Then rewrite those sentences in the negative. For example: Je joue au tennis. Je ne joue pas au foot.

⭐ Key Takeaways

• Remove -ER, then add: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent — this pattern covers 90% of French verbs
• The endings -e, -es, and -ent are all silent; je parle, tu parles, ils parlent sound the same
• Verbs ending in -ger (manger, voyager) add an extra e before -ons: nous mangeons