Before you read this post, I suggest you watch the video tutorial I made HERE

When learning French, one of the foundational elements to grasp is the conjugation of verbs.

This can determine how well you speak, write and even understand French.

In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate ER verbs and begin to make correct sentences.

How to identify -ER verbs

ER verbs in French are verbs that end in –er. Examples include:

• parler (to speak)
• étudier (to study)
• terminer (to end)
• travailler (to work)
• monter (to climb)

Recognizing these infinitive forms is essential, as they serve as the base from which all conjugations are derived.

How to conjugate -ER verbs

Endings: e, es, e, ons, ez, ent

French -ER verbs follow a consistent pattern when conjugated across different subject pronouns in the present tense.

First, you need to write out your personal pronouns. Then, you remove the -er at the end of the verb. Add whatever is left (the root) to the personal pronouns as seen below. Lastly, add the endings.

Here’s a breakdown of the verb endings:

• Je (I) – e.g., je parle (I speak)
• Tu (You, singular informal) – e.g., tu parles (You speak)
• Il/Elle/On (He/She/One) – e.g., il parle (He speaks)
• Nous (We) – e.g., nous parlons (We speak)
• Vous (You, plural/formal) – e.g., vous parlez (You speak)
• Ils/Elles (They, masculine/feminine) – e.g., ils parlent (They speak)

ER verbs in French are generally regular, meaning they follow a consistent pattern in conjugation. To conjugate regular ER verbs, remove the -er ending from the infinitive form and add the appropriate endings according to the subject pronoun.

1. Étudier (to study)

• J’étudie (I study) – Je étudie turns to J’étudie because Je ends in a vowel and étudie starts with a vowel. The rule says we must elide the first ‘e’.
• Tu étudies (You study)
• Il/Elle/On étudie (He/She/One studies)
• Nous étudions (We study)
• Vous étudiez (You study)
• Ils/Elles étudient (They study)

Chanter (to sing)

• Je chante (I sing)
• Tu chantes (You sing)
• Il/Elle/On chante (He/She/One sings)
• Nous chantons (We sing)
• Vous chantez (You sing)
• Ils/Elles chantent (They sing)
• Aimer (to love)

• J’aime (I love)
• Tu aimes (You love)
• Il/Elle/On aime (He/She/One loves)
• Nous aimons (We love)
• Vous aimez (You love)
• Ils/Elles aiment (They love)

Examples:

1. Je chante souvent sous la douche. (I often sing in the shower.)
2. Elle danse avec grâce sur la piste de danse. (She dances gracefully on the dance floor.)
3. Nous mangeons ensemble tous les soirs. (We eat together every evening.)
4. Tu parles plusieurs langues couramment. (You speak several languages fluently.)
5. Ils jouent au football tous les week-ends. (They play football every weekend.)
6. Vous travaillez dur pour atteindre vos objectifs. (You work hard to achieve your goals.)
7. Les enfants nagent dans la piscine pendant l’été. (The children swim in the pool during the summer.)
8. Il dessine des paysages magnifiques. (He draws beautiful landscapes.)
9. Elles aiment voyager à travers le monde. (They love to travel around the world.)
10. Je préfère lire des livres plutôt que regarder la télévision. (I prefer reading books rather than watching television.)

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