Regular -IR & -RE Verbs: New Patterns
Why this matters
You've conquered -ER verbs. But French has two more regular verb families — and some of the most useful daily verbs live there. When you say "I understand," "I finish work," or "I take the bus," you're using -IR and -RE verbs. Time to meet them.
🦝 Remy says: "Three verb families, and you'll know them all by tonight. French grammar is actually quite organized — once you see the patterns, it's like a puzzle clicking into place."
-IR Verbs: The Second Family
Remove -ir, then add these endings. Notice the -iss- that appears in the nous/vous/ils forms:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example: finir (to finish) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -is | je finis [zhuh fee-nee] |
| tu | -is | tu finis |
| il/elle | -it | il finit [eel fee-nee] |
| nous | -issons | nous finissons [noo fee-nee-sohn] |
| vous | -issez | vous finissez [voo fee-nee-say] |
| ils/elles | -issent | ils finissent [eel fee-nees] |
Other common -IR verbs that follow this pattern:
| Verb | Meaning | ils form |
|---|---|---|
| choisir | to choose | ils choisissent |
| réussir | to succeed | ils réussissent |
| grandir | to grow | ils grandissent |
| rougir | to blush | ils rougissent |
| obéir | to obey | ils obéissent |
Example sentences:
- Tu choisis quoi ? [tü shwah-zee kwah] = What are you choosing?
- Elle réussit toujours ses examens. = She always passes her exams.
- Les enfants grandissent vite ! = Kids grow up fast!
-RE Verbs: The Third Family
Remove -re, then add these endings. The il/elle form gets nothing added:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example: vendre (to sell) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -s | je vends [zhuh vahn] |
| tu | -s | tu vends |
| il/elle | — | il vend [eel vahn] |
| nous | -ons | nous vendons |
| vous | -ez | vous vendez |
| ils/elles | -ent | ils vendent |
Example: Il vend des légumes au marché. = He sells vegetables at the market.
Other -RE verbs: attendre (to wait), répondre (to answer), descendre (to go down), perdre (to lose).
🦝 Remy's memory trick: "For -RE verbs, il/elle gets no ending — it's the minimalist of the group. Just drop the -re and walk away. Il vend. Done."
Quick Comparison: All Three Families
| Subject | -ER: parler | -IR: finir | -RE: vendre |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | parle | finis | vends |
| tu | parles | finis | vends |
| il/elle | parle | finit | vend |
| nous | parlons | finissons | vendons |
| vous | parlez | finissez | vendez |
| ils/elles | parlent | finissent | vendent |
🎯 Today's challenge
Write three sentences about your day using one verb from each family: an -ER verb, an -IR verb, and an -RE verb. Share them with a language partner or write them in your notebook.
⭐ Key takeaways
- -IR verbs add -iss- in the nous, vous, and ils/elles forms — this is the key marker.
- -RE verbs are unique: il/elle gets no ending at all — just drop the -re.
- Knowing all three families covers the vast majority of regular French verbs.
Practice Exercises
Change the subject as indicated and rewrite the sentence.
- Je finis à 18h. → Ils ________
- Tu vends des livres ? → Vous ________
- Elle choisit une robe. → Elles ________