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- The present tense: -er verbs
The present tense: -er verbs
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Most French verbs end in -er, and they all follow the same pattern in the present tense.
The pattern
Take off -er and add the endings.
Silent endings
The endings -e, -es and -ent are silent, so je joue, tu joues, il joue and ils jouent all sound the same.
Only the nous and vous forms sound different.
Only the nous and vous forms sound different.
Useful -er verbs
travailler (to work), étudier (to study), parler (to speak), écouter (to listen), regarder (to watch), manger (to eat).
Note: nous mangeons keeps an extra e to keep the soft g sound.
Note: nous mangeons keeps an extra e to keep the soft g sound.
Write "we study" in French.
- étudier: take off -er to get étudi-.
- nous takes -ons.
- nous étudions
Answer: nous étudions
-er verbs: remove -er and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. Only the nous and vous endings are pronounced.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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