Regular -ER Verbs Review & Expansion
Why this matters
You already know a few -ER verbs from A1. Now it's time to level up. The -ER family is the largest in French — over 90% of new verbs you encounter will follow this pattern. Mastering it means you can guess how to conjugate almost any new verb on the spot.
🦝 Remy says: "Think of -ER verbs as your French superpower. Learn the pattern once, unlock hundreds of verbs forever. Not bad for one lesson, right?"
The -ER Conjugation Pattern
Remove the -er ending from the infinitive, then add these endings:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example: parler (to speak) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -e | je parle [zhuh parl] |
| tu | -es | tu parles [tü 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] |
Key insight: The je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles forms are all pronounced the same for most -ER verbs. The -ent ending is always silent!
Expanding Your -ER Verb Vocabulary
Here are 12 essential -ER verbs you must know at A2:
| Infinitive | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| travailler | to work | Je travaille beaucoup. = I work a lot. |
| habiter | to live (somewhere) | Tu habites où ? = Where do you live? |
| chercher | to look for | Elle cherche ses clés. = She's looking for her keys. |
| écouter | to listen | Nous écoutons de la musique. = We listen to music. |
| regarder | to watch | Vous regardez la télé ? = Do you watch TV? |
| penser | to think | Je pense que oui. = I think so. |
| détester | to hate | Elle déteste attendre. = She hates waiting. |
| oublier | to forget | J'oublie toujours ! = I always forget! |
| montrer | to show | Montre-moi ! = Show me! |
| expliquer | to explain | Tu peux expliquer ? = Can you explain? |
| essayer | to try | J'essaie de comprendre. = I'm trying to understand. |
| changer | to change | Ça change tout. = That changes everything. |
🦝 Remy's memory trick: "To remember that -ent is silent, picture the letters sleeping at the end of the word. Ils parlent — they speak... but those last letters? Completely napping."
🎯 Today's challenge
Pick three -ER verbs from the table above that you don't use yet. Write one sentence with each — about your own life. Say them aloud three times each. Hearing yourself speak French is the fastest way to make it stick!
⭐ Key takeaways
- The -ER verb pattern is the most common in French — learn it deeply and you unlock hundreds of verbs.
- The endings -e, -es, -e, -ent are all silent — only -ons and -ez are clearly pronounced.
- Practice with verbs that are personally relevant to you — it makes them stick much faster.