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Just imagine: You’re going out with a group of native French-speakers. This is the perfect opportunity to make friends and practice your French in a real-life situation! But how do you break the ice? What should you say if you run out of topics, or if your French isn’t solid enough to fuel the conversation?

The universal answer is: ask questions! Among countless benefits, being able to ask questions in French will help you avoid awkward silences by keeping the conversation going. It will also make the other person feel like you want to know more about them or value their opinion, thus making you more likeable. Asking questions you’re genuinely interested in opens a world of new information and cultural insight! 

Another perk is that you don’t have to talk too much; just sit back and listen. Don’t think about your next question or how to steer the conversation back toward yourself. Just enjoy the ride and dive into whatever the other person has to say.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything about asking questions in French, from the question words to a collection of common topics with comprehensive examples. By the end of this article, you’ll not only know how to ask questions in French, but also how to answer them!

Table of Contents

1. Golden Rules of French Questions
2. The 8 Most Common Question Topics
3. Le Mot De La Fin

1. Golden Rules of French Questions

Insightful answers can take you a long way!

In our daily lives, we have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, all day long: “Can I have a coffee?” / “At what time is that meeting, again?” / “What’s up, Sophie?” / “Is that seat taken?” / “How much is that product?”

We don’t even think about it, but a hefty portion of our social interactions is based on questions and answers—and this portion grows out of proportion as a foreigner in a strange land, where you need to learn the rules and make sense of unusual things.

Before we go any further, let’s look at the basic rules of how to formulate questions in French.

1 – The 3 French Question Patterns

We’ll start with this simple declarative sentence:

• Tu parles Français. (“You speak French.”)

Here are the three ways you can turn it into “Do you speak French?”

1. Parles-tu Français ?
This is mostly for written French, and it’s unlikely that you’ll hear it in spoken conversations. We simply invert the verb and the pronoun. This pattern only works with pronouns.

2. Est-ce que tu parles Français ?
This works fine in speaking or writing, making it the most polyvalent of the three forms. Est-ce que literally means “Is it that.” So, our sentence would translate to: “Is it that you speak French?”

3. Tu parles Français ?
This is the casual spoken form that you’ll rarely see in writing, and it’s super-easy to form. This is the exact same sentence as the declaration; we simply change the intonation (the pitch goes up at the end).

→ Learn more about these structures in our Complete Guide on French Sentence Patterns. It’s available for free on FrenchPod101.com.

2 – French Question Words

When? / Where? / How? / Why? / How much? / How many? / What?

Let’s have a look at how these questions look in French!

In this table, I will put all possible question forms, but you can usually use any of the three structures.

Quand (“When”)	Quand mangeons nous ? Quand est-ce qu’on mange ? On mange quand ? (“When are we eating?”)
Où (“Where”)	Tu vas où ? (“Where are you going?”)
Comment (“How”)	Comment ça marche ? (“How does it work?”)
Pourquoi (“Why”)	Pourquoi est-ce qu’il fait ça ? (“Why is he doing this?”)
Combien (“How many,” “How much”)	Combien ça coûte ? (“How much is it?”)
QueQu’Quoi (“What”)	Que fais-tu ? Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? Tu fais quoi ? (“What are you doing?”)

→ For more examples of common French questions, don’t forget to stop by our free list of The Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations on FrenchPod101.com.

Comment ça marche ? (“How does it work?”)

2. The 8 Most Common Question Topics

There’s such a wide range of basic French questions and answers that it would be impossible to list them all. But in this section, we’ll go through the most typical questions that you might be asked or want to ask your French pals. 

For each topic, you’ll find examples of possible answers so that you can start imagining how you would deal with it yourself. A good exercise is to try and come up with answers of your own, using the vocabulary and structures you’ll learn today.

1 – Personal Information

The French usually don’t go too far with intimate questions when meeting someone for the first time. Questions about marital status, for instance, could be deemed a bit too personal for a first encounter. 

That said, here are a few questions you can’t go wrong with:

How old are you?

• Vous avez quel âge ?
• Tu as quel âge ?
  
  ► J’ai 32 ans. (“I’m 32.”)

There’s no strict rule about it, but it’s commonly accepted in French etiquette that it’s a bit rude to ask a woman her age, just like you shouldn’t ask about her weight. It may not apply when the other person has no reason to feel insecure about it, but when in doubt, you’d better not ask.

The difference between the casual tu and formal vous is pretty much straightforward.

What’s your name?

• Comment tu t’appelles ? [Casual]
• Tu t’appelles comment ? [Casual]
• Comment vous appelez-vous ? [Formal]

► Je m’appelle Sophie. (“My name is Sophie.”)

Do you have brothers and sisters?

• Vous avez des frères et soeurs ?
• Tu as des frères et soeurs ?

► J’ai un frère et deux soeurs. (“I have a brother and two sisters.”)
► J’ai une grande soeur et un petit frère. (“I have a big sister and a little brother.”)

J’ai une soeur jumelle. (“I have a twin sister.”)

→ For more vocabulary and sentence structures, make sure to visit our complete guide on How to Introduce Yourself!

2 – Where are You From?

Being a foreigner in France, you’ll often be met with this question. Some people might try to guess, and some will just ask you; it’s bound to spark some interest and follow-up questions.

Asking this question to a French native while in France also works. They’ll answer about their hometown or region, and you may learn about interesting local traditions or exciting dishes!

Where are you from?

• Vous venez d’où ?
• Tu viens d’où ?
• Tu es d’où ?
• Tu es de quelle nationalité ?
  
  Foreign answers
  ► Je suis Japonais. (“I’m Japanese.”) [Male]
  ► Je suis Japonaise. (“I’m Japanese.”) [Female]
  ► Je viens du Japon. (“I’m from Japan.”)
  
  Local answers
  ► Je viens de Paris. (“I’m from Paris.”)
  ► Je suis Parisienne. (“I’m a Parisian.”) [Female]
  ► Je viens d’Alsace. (“I’m from the Alsace region.”)

What country are you from? 

• De quel pays venez-vous ?
• Tu viens de quel pays ?

► Je suis Russe. (“I’m Russian.”)
► Je viens de Russie. (“I’m from Russia.”)

What city are you from? 

• De quelle ville venez-vous ?
• Tu viens de quelle ville ?
• Tu habites dans quelle ville ? (“In what city are you living?”)

► Je suis de Toulouse. (“I’m from Toulouse.”)
► Je suis Toulousain. (“I’m a Toulousian.”)
► Je viens de Tokyo. (“I’m from Tokyo.”)
► J’habite à Niigata. (“I’m living in Niigata.”)

Where is it?

• Où est-ce que ça se trouve ? (“Where is it located?”)
• C’est où ? (“Where is it?”)
• C’est par où ? (“Where about is that?”)
• C’est dans quel coin ? (Literally: “In what corner is that?”)

► C’est sur la côte ouest. (“It’s on the West coast.”)
► C’est à côté de Londres. (“It’s near London.”)
► C’est près de la frontière Canadienne. (“It’s close to the Canadian border.”)

Tu viens d’où ? (“Where are you from?”)

→ For more country names in French, have a look at our free vocabulary list on FrenchPod101.com.

3 – Do You Speak ___?

Another foreigner-friendly topic. You may want to ask if the other person speaks English, just as you might be asked whether you speak French or not. This question can lead to a few potential follow-ups on studies, travels, and levels of proficiency.

Do you speak [Language]? 

• Vous parlez Français ? (“Do you speak French?”)
• Est-ce que tu parles Anglais ? (“Do you speak English?”)

► Je parle un peu Français. (“I speak a bit of French.”)
► Je parle Anglais couramment. (“I speak English fluently.”)
► Comme ci comme ça. (“So-so.”)
► J’ai des rudiments de Japonais. (“I have Japanese basics.”)

How long have you been studying French?

• Vous étudiez le Français depuis combien de temps ?
• Tu étudies le Français depuis combien de temps ?

► J’ai étudié 2 ans à l’université. (“I studied for two years at the university.”)
► J’ai commencé il y a 6 mois. (“I started six months ago.”)

What languages do you speak?

• Quelles langues parlez-vous ?
• Tu parles quelles langues ?
• Tu parles quelles autres langues ? (“What other languages do you speak?”)

► Je parle Espagnol, Polonais et Roumain. (“I speak Spanish, Polish, and Romanian.”)
► Je parle juste Anglais et un peu Français. (“I only speak English and a bit of French.”)

4 – Concerning Hobbies

The French are about working hard but partying harder, and we tend to think that our hobbies define us more than our jobs. As a result, you may be asked about your tastes and favorite artists early in a conversation. 

Asking these kinds of questions is a great way to show your interest in the other person and find common ground through shared interests. Following are some ways to ask and answer this type of question in French.

What are your hobbies? 

• Quels sont vos loisirs ? 
• Tu as quoi comme hobbies ?
• Quel est ton passe-temps préféré ? (“What’s your favorite pastime?”)
• Tu fais quoi pendant ton temps libre ? (“What do you do in your free time?”)

► J’aime aller au cinéma. (“I like going to the cinema.”)
► J’adore les jeux vidéos. (“I love video games.”)
► Je fais de la photo et du montage vidéo. (“I do photography and video editing.”)

Do you do sports? 

• Vous faites du sport ?
• Tu fais du sport ?
• Tu fais quoi comme sport ? (“What sports are you doing?”)

► Je fais de l’escalade et de la plongée. (“I do climbing and diving.”)
► Je joue au Tennis. (“I play tennis.”)

What kind of [entertainment / art] do you like? 

• Quel genre de film aimez-vous ? (“What kind of movies do you like?”)
• Tu écoutes quel genre de musique ? (“What kind of music do you listen to?”)
• Quel est ton acteur préféré ? (“Who’s your favorite actor?”)

► J’aime les films d’horreur. (“I love horror movies.”)
► J’écoute surtout du Blues et de la Deep House. (“I listen mostly to Blues and Deep House.”)
► Mon acteur préféré est Mads Mikkelsen. (“My favorite actor is Mads Mikkelsen.”)

J’aime la peinture. (“I love painting.”)

→ You’ll find many more words to talk about your hobbies on our free vocabulary list, with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation.

5 – Let’s Talk Business

Even though we try to find a healthy balance between work and personal life, our professional dealings still take up an important part of our lives (and many hours during the week). As a result, don’t be surprised if it comes up early in a conversation when meeting strangers.

The French love to complain about their jobs: how they’re working too much for an insufficient salary, how their boss is a jerk and their company is a frustrating disarray. Please, don’t hold it against them!

What is your profession?

• Dans quoi travaillez-vous ? (“In what field are you working?”)
• Tu bosses dans quoi ? (“What’s your job?”)
• Tu fais quoi ? (“What do you do?”)
  
• Tu fais quoi dans la vie ? (“What do you do?” but literally “What do you do in life?”)

This last one sounds a bit silly and people use it with a smile, but it’s a great way to make sure your question is understood. 

If you’re in a bar and you just say Tu fais quoi ? the other person could be caught off guard and answer “Nothing, why?” or “Huh…drinking a beer?”

► Je suis programmeur. (“I’m a programmer.”)
► Je bosse dans l’informatique. (“I work in IT.”)
► Je travaille dans l’aviation. (“I work in aviation.”)
► Je travaille à Decathlon. (“I work at Decathlon.”)

What do you study?

• Vous faites des études dans quel domaine ? (“In what field are you studying?”)
• Tu étudies quoi ? (“What are you studying?”)
• Tu étudies où ? (“Where are you studying?”)
• Tu apprends quoi ? (“What are you learning?”)

► Je fais des études en sociologie. (“I study sociology.”)
► J’étudie le droit international. (“I study international law.”)
► J’étudie à l’université de la Sorbonne. (“I study at the Sorbonne University.”)

J’étudie les mathématiques. (“I study mathematics.”)

→ You don’t know how to talk about your profession in French? Stop by our free vocabulary list on Jobs.

6 – Do You Like ___?

What better way to get to know someone than to find out what they like and dislike?

As a visitor, you may get the regular questions on how you appreciate the country or city you’re visiting, but you can use the same structure with any topic, from trivial to intimate!

In France, it’s usually fine to say when you don’t like something. Obviously, out of respect for your hosts, you might want to refrain from throwing mud at what they offer, but overall, compared to other countries, we can be rather blunt when expressing our opinion.

How do you like this place? 

• Comment trouvez-vous Paris ? (“How do you like Paris?”)
• Comment tu trouves Toulouse ? (“How do you like Toulouse?”)
• Tu aimes Paris ? (“Do you like Paris?”)
• Tu te plais en France ? (“Do you enjoy France?”)

► Oui, j’adore Paris. (“Yes, I love Paris.”)
► Oui, mais c’est un peu bruyant. (“Yes, but it’s a bit noisy.”)
► C’est pas mal. (“It’s not bad.”)
► Non, pas trop. (“No, not so much.”)

Do you like that thing? 

• Vous aimez la cuisine Française ? (“Do you like French cuisine?”)
• Est-ce que tu aimes le vin rouge ? (“Do you like red wine?”)
• Tu aimes les films avec des gladiateurs ? (“Do you like Gladiator movies?”)
• Est-ce que tu aimes la musique Française ? (“Do you like French music?”)
  (It’s okay, you don’t have to say yes. I understand!)

► Oui, j’aime beaucoup ! (“Yes, I like it a lot!”)
► Non, je n’aime pas trop. (“No, I don’t really like it.”)
► Non, je déteste ça. (“No, I hate it.”)
► Oui, ça dépend. (“Yes, it depends.”)
(The perfect vague, non-committal answer to get yourself out of trouble!)

7 – Have You Been There?

Other basic French questions to a traveler, visitor, or expat are those about where you’ve been. When people have been to exotic places, they’re usually eager to talk about it and discuss landscapes, climates, and customs. It’s an interesting and safe topic for when you want to know more about someone’s past adventures.

Have you been to this place? 

• Êtes-vous allé à Lyon ? (“Have you been to Lyon?”)
• Tu es déjà allé en Ecosse ? (“Have you ever been to Scotland?”)
• Tu as voyagé en Amérique du sud ? (“Have you traveled to South America?”)

► Oui, je connais bien. (“Yes, I know it well.”)
► J’y suis allé l’année dernière. (“I went there last year.”)
► J’y suis allé il y a longtemps (“I went there a long time ago.”)
► Non, je n’y suis jamais allé. (“No, I’ve never been there.”)

Have you visited this place?

• Tu as visité le musée du Louvre ? (“Did you visit the Louvre museum?”)
• Tu connais le pont de l’Alma ? (“Do you know the Alma Bridge?”)
• Tu es déjà allé sur les quais de Bercy ? (“Have you ever been to the docks of Bercy?”)

► Oui, j’y suis allé une ou deux fois. (“Yes, I have been there a couple of times.”)
► Non, pas encore. (“No, not yet.”)
► Je ne suis pas sûr. (“I’m not sure.”)

8 – How Much? 

The final set of basic questions and answers in French you’ll for-sure need are those about costs and prices.

How much is it?

• Combien ça coûte ? (“How much does it cost?”)
• C’est combien ? (“How much is it?”)
• Je vous dois combien ? (“How much do I owe you?”)

► 12 euros, s’il vous plait. (“12€ please.”)
► 5 euros, s’il te plait. (“5€ please.”)

How much is this? 

• La pinte est à combien ? (“How much is a pint?”)
• Celui-ci coûte combien ? (“How much is this one?”)
• Vous le faites à combien ? (“How much do you ask for this?”)

► Une pour 8€, deux pour 15. (“One is 8€, two for 15.”)
► Ça fait 20€, s’il vous plait. (“It will be 20€, please.”)

→ Check out our list of Money-related French Expressions for more on talking about cash and expenses.

Combien ça coûte ? (“How much is it?”)

Le Mot De La Fin

In this guide, you’ve learned the bread and butter of asking questions in French, from the question words to the most common topics, with plenty of examples.

Did we forget any important topic you’d like to learn about? Do you feel ready to get out there and express yourself, using everything you’ve learned today?

A good way to practice is to take each of the questions we’ve covered today and imagine how you would answer them. Maybe you’ll need to do some research on the sentence structures or key words, but it will be a great way to learn how to talk about yourself. 

Learning how to talk about personal topics is always worth the time, as you can use this knowledge in any occasion, with your friends or people you’ve just met.

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also useful for revisiting new words and practicing their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. Practice questions and answers in French with your private teacher so they can give you personalized feedback and advice, and help you with the pronunciation.

Happy learning!

What is DALF? Does it have anything to do with the alien-friendly 80s sitcom? And what about DELF? Are we talking engine oil and car lubricants? I’m sorry to disappoint, but we’re only referring to the most important French Proficiency tests on the market.

In this article, I’ll explain everything about the DELF & DALF language proficiency exams: what they are, how to sign up, and why you should care. You’ll also learn all the details about the six possible DALF/DELF French exam levels and how to identify yours. 

Finally, you’ll have an in-depth look at the structure and content of all four sections of the exam, and more importantly, the best techniques to practice and pass the test yourself!

Ace your DELF or DALF with our collection of pro-tips.

Table of Contents

1. What are DELF and DALF?
2. A Test for Every Level
3. How to Succeed at DELF B2
4. Le Mot De La Fin

1. What are DELF and DALF?

DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) and DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) are the two official degrees that certify various levels of proficiency in the French language. 

They’re issued by the French Ministère de l’éducation nationale (“Ministry of Education”), valid for life, and recognized worldwide, making them the best choices for validating your French proficiency.

There are six levels of DELF and DALF, ranging from A1 to C2. If you’re not yet at an A1 level, there’s another exam called DILF (Diplôme initial de langue française). Find more details about it right here.

Why Take the Exam?

There are many possible reasons why you’d want to pass a DELF or DALF:

• To get into a renowned French school or university
• To find a job in France
• To apply for a French residence permit
• To request French citizenship
• To get a French training approved within the framework of the CPF, or Compte personnel de formation (“Personal training account”)

Maybe you’ve just spent the last six months studying hard on FrenchPod101.com and want to show the world the extent of your skills.

In that case, DELF might be too much trouble and I’d rather recommend that you take one of our free language portfolio tests. If you’re a Premium PLUS subscriber, just ask your teacher about it and they’ll get you started in no time!

What Do They Look Like?

Depending on the level you’re taking, the DELF and DALF exams can be wildly different. However, each exam consists of four distinct sections:

1. Compréhension de l’oral (Listening test)
2. Compréhension des écrits (Reading test)
3. Production écrite (Writing test)
4. Production orale (Speaking test)

Each section is timed and will put your linguistic skills to the test!

You can find detailed information on the examination on the official website of France Education (that you may have seen referred to as CIEP in older articles).

How to Sign Up?

There are many testing centers around the world, and you can usually sign up online. Some of these centers are from the group Alliance Française and also provide specific training for the test, but it’s rather expensive and NOT mandatory.

However, whether you pay for extra training or not, there will be a registration fee to take the exam. Prices vary depending on the center and level, but you can expect it to be in the range of $200.

You can find all approved examination centers outside of France on this official page. It includes contact numbers and email addresses for you, as well.

The first three parts of the test are collective, and the oral exam is individual.

2. A Test for Every Level

Before you can choose the right test for your level, you need to be familiar with the CECRL system (Cadre Européen de référence pour les langues). This classification allows you to define your proficiency level in a foreign language, from A1 for beginners to C2 for experts.

Level	Description	You can:
A1 DELF A1	Beginner	Understand and use typical everyday expressions and simple statements about practical needs Introduce yourself to someone Ask questions about someone and answer similar types of questions Have very basic conversations if the other person is talking slowly and deliberately articulating
A2 DELF A2	Lower-intermediate	Understand isolated sentences and frequently used expressions from familiar daily situations (personal information, family, shopping, or work interactions) Communicate about common and simple tasks when they don’t require sharing too much information or unfamiliar topics Describe your current environment and express immediate needs
B1 DELF B1	Intermediate	Understand the main topics of a conversation in plain language, when it’s about familiar things (work, school, hobbies) Handle most daily interactions when traveling in a French-speaking country Produce simple texts on topics which are familiar or of personal interest Tell about events, experiences, or dreams, describe a hope or goal, and briefly explain a project or an idea
B2 DELF B2	Upper-intermediate	Understand the main ideas within a complex text on concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field of specialization Communicate spontaneously and effortlessly with a native speaker Express yourself in a clear and detailed manner on a wide range of subjects and explain a point of view on a topical issue, giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options
C1 DALF C1	Advanced	Understand long and demanding texts and their implicit meaning Talk spontaneously and fluently without searching for your words too much Use the language in an efficient and flexible manner at home, work, or school Express your opinion on complex topics in a clear and structured manner, having full control over the linguistic tools for organizing and articulating your speech
C2 DALF C2	Proficient	Understand effortlessly anything you read or hear Summarize facts and arguments from various sources, written or spoken Express yourself spontaneously, very clearly, and fluently, and highlight slight nuances in meaning when talking about complex topics

3. How to Succeed at DELF B2

In this section, we’ll mainly focus on the B2 DELF tests. This will allow you to get an in-depth look at one level, rather than a vague overview of all possible exams.

Why B2? Because this is the most common level they ask for when you’re looking for a job, and the minimum you should have when applying for a French university or school.

However, keep in mind that the structure, if not the timings, remains the same for all levels. Similarly, the Pro-Tips and How to Practice sections apply to most levels of DELF or DALF. Here’s the information you’ll need for your French DELF exam preparation:

1 – The Listening Test

Duration: 30 minutes, three exercises for a total of 25 points.

The Test

In this test, you’ll listen to two recorded documents. They can be conversations, interviews, news broadcasts, conferences, or recordings from the radio or TV shows.

• Before listening to the first document, you’ll have one minute to read the questions. Then, you’ll hear the document one single time (around two minutes). At the end of the recording, you have three minutes to answer the questions.
  
• Before listening to the second document, you’ll have one minute to read the questions. Then, you will hear the document for the first time (up to six minutes) and you’ll have three minutes to start answering the questions. Finally, you’ll hear the document for the second time and you’ll have five minutes to complete your answers.

Pro-Tips

• Make the most of the short time you’re given to read the questions. In the heat of the moment, this one minute feels like seconds. But knowing the questions in advance will help you focus on the specific information you have to extract from the recordings.
  
• Don’t get tricked and stay very alert. Don’t jump to conclusions too fast. The French DELF B2 exam is rather advanced, and appearances can be deceiving. If you hear the exact words of a question in the recording, it’s probably a trap and you should be careful about what’s really being said.
  
• Don’t worry about writing in flawless French, as long as you’re clear and accurate. The most important part of this text is to prove you’re a good listener, not a good writer.

How to Practice

• You should ideally practice a few minutes every day, with French radio, TV, movies, series, or directly with native speakers if you have this luxury. Podcasts can also be a good idea!
  
• Any listening exercise on FrenchPod101.com can be valuable practice to sharpen your ear.
  
• Check online for examples of DELF recordings, starting with the website of France Education International, the official DELF ministry.

When you come well-prepared for your listening exam!

2 – The Reading Test 

Duration: around 1 hour, two to three exercises for a total of 25 points.

The Test

In this test, you’ll be given two written documents along with questions to test your comprehension. You have one hour in total to read the texts and answer all the questions.

• The first document will be informational, such as a news article or an essay about an aspect of French culture or values.
• The second document will be an opinion article on a controversial topic.

Pro-Tips

• Read the text very carefully before reading the questions, so you can get a first impression without any bias. Then quickly write down the main topics and ideas.

• Only then, read the questions and make sure you understand them perfectly before you read the text once again in this new light.

• Finally, answer the questions in the suggested order, always asking yourself why you’re answering that way (and not differently).

• It’s important that you keep coming back to the text to question your answers and make sure you’re still on track.
  
• Answer the question fully but concisely. You shouldn’t need more than a couple of sentences to prove your comprehension of the texts.
  
• Stay alert and be prepared for multi-part questions or word play. Some idiomatic expressions might trick you into answering the wrong question.

How to Practice

• It’s important that you practice by reading a wide variety of material, from blogs to newspaper articles, essays, or novels.
  
• Reading about politics, movie reviews, or heated internet debates are some ways to prepare yourself for the second text.
  
• Read some actual DELF tests to get a good idea of what to expect in terms of length and difficulty. You can find some French DELF B2 exam sample papers and more resources on the official website.

You can always find a minute to read some French!

3 – The Writing Test

Duration: around 1 hour, one writing exercise for a total of 25 points.

The Test

In this test, you’ll have to take a stand on a controversial topic. You can be asked to support a given topic, or to write against it, and justify your opinion. Your text will be based either on a short text, letter, or article, or just a few sentences describing the situation and what you need to write.

You have one hour to write your text with a minimum of 250 words.

Pro-Tips

• Make sure you’ve read the instructions very carefully and understand them fully.
  
• Remember that you’re not likely to be asked for your opinion, but rather to take a stand following some specific guidelines. For example: Write a letter explaining that you hate chocolate and why it should be forbidden. It doesn’t matter that you personally love chocolate; you’ll still have to write against it!
  
• Adapt your text to the target audience. Who’s writing? To whom? And why? If you’re pretending to write for a news website, you won’t use the same style as if you were writing a letter of complaint. The structure and style should match the type of text you’re writing.
  
• Write a quick outline of your text before you begin writing. Gather examples you can use to support and organize your arguments.
  
• Re-read your text very carefully, focusing on grammar, conjugation, and words agreeing in gender and number. Don’t forget about the punctuation.

How to Practice

• Reading is an effective way to improve your grammar and vocabulary, and get familiar with the most common sentence structures. You’ll have to focus your reading on opinion pieces and reviews to get used to the style, and to learn the kind of vocabulary and connecting phrases these texts use.
  
• Of course, writing is also great; but you’ll need to get feedback from a native speaker. There are some online communities where you can post your work and request feedback on websites like HiNative.
  
• If you’re a Premium PLUS subscriber, you can use MyTeacher and send your practice texts to your tutor for a detailed and comprehensive review.
  
• Read the instructions of actual B2 DELF tests to know what to expect. See how long it takes you to come up with your ideas and outline, and how comfortable you are writing 250 words within the rest of the hour.

Will there ever be a better time to start writing your memoir in French?

4 – The Speaking Test

Duration: around 50 minutes, including the preparation, for a total of 25 points.

The Test

In this test, you’ll have to present and defend an opinion, based on a short document provided to you.
You’ll have thirty minutes to read the document and prepare for a ten-minute oral speech.

Once you’ve told your piece, you’ll then discuss it with two examiners for ten more minutes. They’ll ask you questions to start a dialogue, and you’ll have to not only react to their solicitations, but also take initiatives in the exchange.

Pro-Tips

• Read the document carefully, as many times as it takes to be sure you perfectly understand what it says, as well as its implications. 

• Decide whether you want to support the idea or argue against it, and what your take on the issue will be.

• Write a list of arguments and examples, in the form of bullet points. Remember you only have thirty minutes of preparation, and you shouldn’t try to write the whole script of your ten-minute speech.

• You may want to use some quotes from the text to make sure you don’t go completely off the rails. You can use these quotes to support the idea or contradict it.
  
• You can illustrate your opinion using examples from current events or knowledge from any source you’ve read or heard from. Using concrete words, details, and examples keeps people more interested than abstract concepts and ideas do.
  
• Try not to scatter yourself too much. You may want to articulate your speech around the classic triad of thesis, antithesis, synthesis.

How to Practice

• Check some official DELF tests to see what you should expect, the kind of texts they provide, and what you would talk about in your ten-minute speech. It’s the best way to practice in “real” test conditions.
  
• Practice your listening as much as possible. It’s often considered easier to make a statement than to understand one, and you’ll have to understand many questions from the two examiners.
  
• Practice speaking with natives as often as you can. Talking to random strangers is the best way to get out of your comfort zone and get used to different accents, speeds, and styles.
  
• If you don’t have native speakers available, try to practice with other learners or even alone. In that case, make sure to record yourself and try to correct your own mistakes. Speaking often, even to yourself, will make you more comfortable over time.
  
• And of course, if you’re using MyTeacher, you can send recordings to your tutor and get some great feedback on your grammar and pronunciation!

Conquer your French audience with well-crafted arguments!

4. Le Mot De La Fin

In this guide, you’ve learned everything about the French proficiency tests DELF and DALF, from the reading exam and essay-writing, to the listening test and oral speech. 

Did I forget any practical information you need to get ready for your DELF exam? Do you feel ready to start practicing and rise to the challenge?

A good exercise to practice is to pick one of the official DALF or DELF French examinations and just do it, from A to Z. It’s gonna take a few hours, for sure, but only then will you know exactly what to expect, and how you should get ready for it!

FrenchPod101.com also has tons of vocabulary lists with audio recordings, and free resources to boost your studies and keep your French-learning fresh and entertaining!

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. You can have your private teacher help you practice for your upcoming DELF exam, using personalized exercises and recorded audio samples; your teacher can also review your recordings to help improve your pronunciation. 

Happy learning on FrenchPod101.com!

What’s the best way to learn a foreign language? To speak it as early as you can! Are you going to achieve this by stuffing yourself with tedious grammar rules, barren conjugation tables, or endless vocabulary lists? Not likely.

A smarter approach is to quickly pick up on the most common and useful French sentence patterns—the kind that will allow you to communicate effectively in most day-to-day situations with your local friends or colleagues. Sure, it won’t allow you to express subtle thoughts on complicated topics. But it should cover a wide range of interactions and help you practice on a regular basis without being frustrated when you can’t say something as vital as “I like cheese.”

In this article, you’ll learn everything about the 10 most useful French sentence patterns, from making the most basic statement to asking questions, as well as expressing what you want or what you’ve done. And I promise you that once you’re comfortable with just these 10 basic French sentence patterns, you’ll be able to communicate more efficiently than after a hundred pages of grammar books!

Table of Contents

1. A is B
2. It Is
3. I Want
4. I Need To
5. I Like, I Love
6. I’m Doing it Right Now
7. I’ve Just Done It
8. I’m Going to Do It
9. Asking Questions
10. Asking for Permission
11. Le Mot De La Fin

Be the architect of your French sentences!

1. A is B

First on our French sentence list is how to describe something or someone, using nouns or adjectives to give it substance. To do this, we simply use the verb être (“to be”). You can find details about its conjugation right here.

• Paul est mon ami. (“Paul is my friend.”)
• Ce vin est un Saint Emilion. (“This wine is a Saint Emilion.”)
• Julie est ma copine. (“Julie is my girlfriend.”)
• Bastien était mon patron. (“Bastien was my boss.”)
• Les tomates sont des fruits. (“Tomatoes are fruits.”) – But are they, really? The jury is still out.

Now, here’s how it looks when we describe something or someone using an adjective:

• Paul est beau. (“Paul is handsome.”)
• Cette journée est importante. (“This day is important.”)
• Julie est très gentille. (“Julie is really kind.”)
• Bastien était jeune. (“Bastien was young.”)
• Cette voiture est neuve. (“This car is brand-new.”)

→ Learn many more useful adjectives in our article about the Top 100 most common French adjectives. It’s available for free on FrenchPod101.com.

Les tomates sont des légumes. (“Tomatoes are veggies.”)

2. It Is

Now that we’ve talked about “A is B,” there won’t be anything shockingly difficult here. But it is such a common French sentence structure that we need to see it in more detail.

C’est (“it is”) uses the verb être, and it can be used in a wide range of situations to describe either a thing, a situation, or an action.

• C’est super ! (“It’s great!”)
• C’est très intéressant. (“It’s very interesting.”)
• C’est gentil, merci. (“It’s kind, thank you.”)
• C’est assez dangereux. (“It’s rather dangerous.”)
• C’est trop tard. (“It’s too late.”)

→ Learn even more adjectives and their pronunciation in our free list of The 50 Most Common French Adjectives!

3. I Want

Anyone will tell you how important it is that you know what you want, but how do you talk about it in French? Let’s find out.

We use the verb vouloir (“to want”), and it works very similarly to how it does in English, with the indicative mood for something you WANT and the subjunctive mood for something you WOULD LIKE.

• Je veux (“I want”)
• Je voudrais (“I would like”)

You’ll find the full conjugation table for vouloir right here.

• Je veux un café. (“I want a coffee.”)
• Je veux te voir. (“I want to see you.”)
• Je veux que tu sois là. (“I want you to be there.” Literally: “I want that you would be there.”)

• Elle voudrait une bière. (“She would like a beer.”)
• Je voudrais venir demain. (“I would like to come tomorrow.”)
• Je voudrais que tu chantes. (“I would like you to sing.” Literally: “I would like that you would sing.”)

And let’s not forget “I don’t want,” as the French have no problem saying they don’t want something!

• Je ne veux pas venir. (“I don’t want to come.”)

Je ne veux pas venir. (“I don’t want to come.”)

4. I Need To

What’s more important than the things you want? The things you need!

Expressing your needs is something you’re likely to do on a daily basis: at work (I need more time; I need a new computer; I need friendlier customers), at home (I need a nap; I need to wash the dishes; I need an enormous fondue savoyarde and a bottle of pinot noir), or with friends (I need a beer; I need a cigarette; I need to kiss that girl tonight).

There are several ways to express your needs:

• J’ai besoin de (“I need,” or literally “I have need of”)

J’ai besoin + Nominal	J’ai besoin d’un café. (“I need a coffee.”)
J’ai besoin + Infinitive verb	J’ai besoin de boire un café. (“I need to drink a coffee.”)

• Je dois (“I must,” “I need to”)

Je dois + Infinitive verb

Je dois boire un café. (“I need to drink a coffee.”)

• Il me faut (“I need”) 

This one doesn’t really have a literal translation. It uses the verb falloir (“to have to”), conjugated with il (“he”). In a sentence like this, il is used as an impersonal pronoun, just like in the sentence Il pleut (“It rains”).

Il me faut + Nominal

Il me faut un café. (“I need a coffee.”)

Technically, you could also say: Il me faut boire un café, but it’s overly sophisticated and would make people smile. You can use it in writing, though.

Here are some more French sentence examples for expressing needs:

• J’ai besoin de me reposer. (“I need to rest.”)
• Je dois te parler. (“I need to talk to you.” / “I must talk to you.”)
• Il me faut plus de temps. (“I need more time.”)
• Nous avons besoin d’une réponse. (“We need an answer.”)
• Il nous faudrait une nouvelle télé. (“We would need a new TV.”)

→ Make sure to visit our vocabulary list on the Top 10 Sentence Patterns for Beginners, with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation. It’s freely available on FrenchPod101.com.

J’ai besoin de dormir. (“I need to sleep.”)

5. I Like, I Love

Our desires and needs being satisfied, let’s talk about things we love.

The main thing you should know about “I like” and “I love” in French, is that we have one verb for both. You heard me: aimer can translate as “like” or “love,” depending on the context, and we have different ways to express them.

J’aime bien (“I like”)

Literally: “I like well,” this is for what you find quite enjoyable. You’re not crazy about it or ready to do anything to have it. You just like it, plain and simple.

• J’aime bien la bière, mais je préfère le cidre. (“I like beer, but I prefer cider.”)
• J’aime bien ce film. (“I like this movie.”)

J’aime (“I like” / “I love”)

This is the gray area. You can use aimer for things you “love” or “like” in English. It’s often in the middle, but not always; you’ll sometimes have to read the situation to find out.

• J’aime le fromage. (“I like cheese.”)

Here, I’m not saying it’s my favorite thing and I love it so much, but it’s stronger than j’aime bien.

• Je t’aime. (“I love you.”)

J’adore (“I love”)

When j’aime isn’t enough—when you’re talking about something you’re really fond of, like one of your favorite foods or a movie you could watch over and over—then you could use the verb adorer.

• J’adore la tartiflette ! (“I love tartiflette!”)
• J’adore cet album. (“I love this album.”)
  

What about people? 

When it comes to people, should you say j’aime or j’aime bien? The answer is rather simple:

• Family, best friend, and romantic partner: J’aime.
• Friends and acquaintances: J’aime bien.

Here are a few examples to help you make sense of it:

• J’aime mes parents. (“I love my parents.”)
• Elle aime Nicolas. (“She loves Nicolas.” / “She’s in love with Nicolas.”)
• J’aime bien Kévin, il est sympa. (“I like Kévin, he’s nice.”)

J’aime les croissants. (“I like croissants.”)

6. I’m Doing it Right Now

This French sentence construction uses a verb equivalent to the English participle: verb + ING, in sentences like “I’m eating” or “She’s sleeping.”

In many cases, you could simply use the indicative present:

• Je mange. (“I’m eating.”)
• Elle dort. (“She’s sleeping.”)

But if you want to stress the fact that this is an ongoing process, the structure is a little bit more complicated. For this, we use: être en train de (literally: “to be in the process of”).

• Je suis en train de manger. (“I’m eating now.”)
• Elle est en train de dormir. (“She’s sleeping now.”)
• Nous sommes en train d’emménager. (“We are moving in now.”)

And before you ask, it doesn’t mean that I’m eating in the train or she’s sleeping in a train. None of this has to do with the railway network!

7. I’ve Just Done It

Another hugely popular French sentence pattern is Je viens de (“I’ve just”). Literally, it means “I come from” / “I’m coming from,” and indeed, you’re just “coming from” this last action, in a way.

• Je viens de dormir. (“I’ve just slept.”)
• Je viens de manger. (“I’ve just eaten.”)

You can make it even more immediate by adding juste (“just”) or even tout juste (literally: “all just”).

• Je viens juste de dormir. (“I’ve just slept now.”)
• Je viens tout juste de manger. (“I’ve just eaten right now.”)

8. I’m Going to Do It

Similarly, you’ll want to know how to talk about something you’re about to do. Luckily, there won’t be anything complicated here, as this sentence is formed exactly like in English, with the verb aller (“to go”).

• Je vais dormir. (“I’m going to sleep.”)
• Elle va manger. (“She’s going to eat.”)
• Nous allons bientôt partir. (“We’re going to leave soon.”)

Just like in English, it has this double meaning of “I’m about to” and “I’m moving toward,” but with context, it never creates any confusion.

In spoken French, this structure is very often used to talk about the future, much more often, actually, than the future tense itself. As a result, this might be the most important pattern on this list!

→ Do you need some verbs to use with patterns #6, #7, and #8? Make sure to check out our List of the 50 Most Common French Verbs with audio recordings!

Je viens de me lever. (“I’ve just got out of bed.”)

9. Asking Questions

Especially as a foreigner, we can’t stress enough the importance of learning how to form questions. 

Whether you’ll be looking for a place, a person, or a word, chances are you’re gonna spend a lot of time asking questions. Let’s see the most popular French patterns for that.

We’ll start from this simple declarative sentence:

• Tu aimes les chats. (“You love cats.”)

There are mainly three ways to turn this into “Do you love cats?”

1. Aimes-tu les chats ?
2. Est-ce que tu aimes les chats ?
3. Tu aimes les chats ?

#1 is barely ever used in spoken French, but is popular in writing.

#2 and #3 are equally common, and you should ideally master both. There’s not much difference in meaning, except that #2 makes clear from the start that you’re gonna ask a question, while #3 only expresses it at the end (thanks to the intonation).

1. Aimes-tu les chats ?

Nothing difficult here. We’re simply inverting the verb and the pronoun.

It would be the same with any verb or pronoun, but it only works when the subject is a pronoun.

• Voulez-vous du vin ? (“Do you want wine?”)
• Allons-nous dormir ? (“Are we going to sleep?”)
• Est-elle partie ? (“Is she gone?”)
• Mange-t-il ici ? (“Is he eating here?”)

Did you notice this weird t- in the last sentence? We use it with the pronouns that start with a vowel sound, such as il, elle, ils, and elles, to make the sentence flow smoothly and avoid having an awkward transition from vowel to vowel.

2. Est-ce que tu aimes les chats ?

Est-ce que literally means “is it that.” So, our sentence would translate to: “Is it that you love cats?” It’s invariable regardless of the verb or subject, and it works with anything, not just pronouns.

• Est-ce que vous voulez du vin ? (“Do you want wine?”)
• Est-ce que nous allons dormir ? (“Are we going to sleep?”)
• Est-ce qu’elle est partie ? (“Is she gone?”)
• Est-ce qu’il mange ici ? (“Is he eating here?”)

3. Tu aimes les chats ?

This one is really straightforward. Simply take the declarative sentence and end it with an interrogation mark. We don’t use it in formal writing, but very often in spoken French with the right intonation.

Of course I love cats. Who could resist these eyes?

Now, what if I want to ask questions about What, Where, When, How, or Why?

Let’s take a look at each of the three forms with the simple sentence: Tu manges. (“You eat.”)

“What are you eating?”	Que manges-tu ?	Qu’est-ce que tu manges ?	Tu manges quoi ?
“Where are you eating?”	Où manges-tu ?	Où est-ce que tu manges ?	Tu manges où ?
“When are you eating?”	Quand manges-tu ?	Quand est-ce que tu manges ?	Tu manges quand ?
“How are you eating?”	Comment manges-tu ?	Comment est-ce que tu manges ?	Tu manges comment ?
“Why are you eating?”	Pourquoi manges-tu ?	Pourquoi est-ce que tu manges ?	Pourquoi tu manges ?

And last but not least, here’s how you can stress a question, like you would do in English with “Right?” or “Isn’t it?”

• Tu aimes les chats, non ?
• Tu aimes les chats, n’est-ce pas ?
• Tu aimes les chats, hein ?

This is a declarative phrase, followed by a short question. Non ? is probably the most common.

→ For more question examples, don’t forget to stop by our free list of The Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversation! It’s free on FrenchPod101.com.

10. Asking for Permission

And finally, going to France, you might want to work on your first impression by following the well-known French etiquette. 

Luckily, being polite isn’t rocket science, and with only a few set French phrases, you’ll get through any daily situation! These phrases are:

• “Can I ____?”

Just like we explained in section #9, there are three ways you can ask this question. The first one is only for written French, while the other two are equally common. We use the verb pouvoir (“can”).

1. Puis-je avoir un verre d’eau ? (“Can I have a glass of water?”)
2. Est-ce que je peux avoir un verre d’eau ?
3. Je peux avoir un verre d’eau ?

• “Please”

S’il vous plaît (“please”) literally means: “If it pleases you.” It might sound very fancy, but it’s actually the simplest way we have to say “please.” With vous (formal “you”), it’s the formal way to address strangers, the elderly, or business partners.

S’il te plaît (“please”) uses tu (casual “you”), and it’s the casual form to address kids, family, friends, or colleagues.

For example, in a restaurant:

• Je peux avoir un verre d’eau, s’il vous plaît ? (“Can I have a glass of water, please?”)

And if you’re visiting a friend:

• Je peux avoir un verre d’eau, s’il te plaît ? (“Can I have a glass of water, please?”)

10 French sentence patterns, endless possibilities.

11. Le Mot De La Fin

In this guide, you’ve learned everything about the most useful French sentence patterns, from basic French sentences to questions, polite requests, and expressing what you love or want.

Did we forget any important pattern you would like to know about? Do you feel ready to start talking to random strangers using everything you’ve learned today?

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101.com, as we have plenty of free resources for you to practice your grammar and learn new words. The vocabulary lists are also a great way to review the words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. Practice talking about French sentence patterns with your private teacher so they can give you personalized feedback and advice, and help you with the pronunciation.

Could you imagine a novel written without any adverbs? It would feel terribly bland and boring, devoid of flavor and lacking substance. You wouldn’t have characters walking awkwardly or talking softly; they couldn’t stare suspiciously or ambiguously. They could only gaze upon the world with flat eyes.

Luckily, writers as well as speakers have a wide collection of adverbs at their disposal to spice things up. French adverbs describe where, when, how, and much more. They can express the feelings and perspective of the speaker and make any description tremendously more lively and colorful, just like adjectives do in their own way—starting with this very sentence!

French adverbs are not particularly tricky, but they still hold a few secrets which we’ll unfold together. In this article, we’ll cover French adverb placement, their formation, and most importantly, we’ll give you an extensive list of the 100 most useful French adverbs to know.

Table of Contents

1. French Adverbs User Manual
2. The 100 Most Useful French Adverbs
3. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

Can you feel the magic of adverbs washing over you?

1. French Adverbs User Manual

1 – What are they?

Adverbs are a type of word that works together with a verb, an adjective, or another adverb to change its meaning or make it more precise. Basically, they describe verbs, adjectives, or fellow adverbs.

Here are some examples of French adverbs:

• Doucement (“Softly”)
• Sérieusement (“Seriously”)
• Furieusement (“Furiously”)

And here’s how they combine with the verb parler (“to speak”):

• Je parle doucement. (“I speak softly.”)
• Je parle sérieusement. (“I speak seriously.”)
• Je parle furieusement. (“I speak furiously.”)

With just one word, you completely change the tone of the sentence and create a whole different mood.

2 – What are they made of?

In French, just like in English, adverbs are often based on adjectives. More specifically, they’re based on the feminine form of the adjective. 

Do you remember how French adjectives have masculine and feminine forms? If not, be sure to check our previous article on the 100 Must-Know French Adjectives!

Here’s an example of the masculine vs. feminine forms of French adjectives: 

• Doux / Douce (“soft”)
• Sérieux / Sérieuse (“serious”)

Now, here’s how to go about forming French adverbs from adjectives: 

Feminine adjective + ment = Adverb

• Douce (“Soft”) >> Doucement (“Softly”)
• Sérieuse (“Serious”) >> Sérieusement (“Seriously”)
• Rapide (“Quick”) >> Rapidement (“Quickly”)

Then, like in English, there are a few exceptions to this rule.

Adjectives ending with -i are formed like this: Masculine adjective + ment = Adverb Vrai (“Real”) >> Vraiment (“Really”)

Adjectives ending with -ent or -ant are formed with: Masculine adjective – nt + mment = Adverb Fréquent (“Frequent”) >> Fréquemment (“Frequently”)

And of course, there are the rebellious ones that don’t follow any rules:

• Bon (“Good”) >> Bien (“Well”)
• Mauvais (“Bad”) >> Mal (“Badly”)

Finally, many common adverbs in French are not created from adjectives. You’ll find plenty of them in our list.

What are these mysterious adverbs? Let’s find out!

3 – Where do they live?

Now, where do adverbs go in French sentences? Luckily, this is very similar to English.

When adverbs modify verbs, they usually come AFTER the verb.

• Je parle doucement. (“I speak softly.”)
• Elle mange lentement. (“She eats slowly.”)
• Nous travaillons sérieusement. (“We work seriously.”)

When adverbs modify adjectives or adverbs, they come AFTER the verb and BEFORE the adjective / adverb.

• C’est vraiment bien. (“It’s really good.”)
• Il est souvent absent. (“He’s often absent.”)
• Ils sont plutôt intelligents. (“They are rather intelligent.”)

→Make sure to visit our vocabulary list on the Must-Know Adverbs to Connect Your Thoughts, with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation. It’s freely available on FrenchPod101.com.

2. The 100 Most Useful French Adverbs

1. French Adverbs of Time (When?)

1

Tard “Late”

C’est trop tard. “It is too late.”

2

Tôt “Early”

Je me lève tôt. “I wake up early.”

3

Bientôt “Soon”	Nous arriverons bientôt. “We will arrive soon.”
Bientôt literally means “Well early.”

4

Déjà “Already”

Tu as déjà mangé ? “Have you eaten already?”

5

Hier “Yesterday”

Je ne l’ai pas vu depuis hier. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

6

Aujourd’hui “Today”	Il fait beau aujourd’hui. “It’s sunny today.”
Why is this word so weird? It has a long and interesting story, but to keep it short: Au +‎ jour +‎ de +‎ hui, literally means “on the day of today.” Hui isn’t used anymore and originally comes from the Latin word hodie.

7

Demain “Tomorrow”

Il va pleuvoir demain. “It’s going to rain tomorrow.”

8

Longtemps “A long time,” “Long”	Ça ne prendra pas longtemps. “It won’t take long.”
Longtemps is simply the combination of long (“long”) + temps (“time”).

9

Longuement “At length”

Ils en ont parlé longuement. “They talked about it at length.”

10

Brièvement “Briefly”

Je vais expliquer brièvement les règles. “I will briefly explain the rules.”

11

Maintenant “Now”

Nous partons maintenant. “We leave now.”

12

Avant “Before”

C’était mieux avant. “It was better before.”

13

Après “After”

J’irai après le travail. “I will go after work.”

14

Encore “Again,” “Still”

Ils reviendront encore et encore. “They will come back again and again.” Elle vit encore à cette adresse ? “She still lives at this address?”

15

Enfin “At last”

J’ai enfin terminé ! “I’ve finished at last!”

16

Ensuite “Then”	On va ensuite le mettre au four. “Then, we’re going to put it in the oven.”
Another quick tip for this one: une suite means “sequel” or “follow-up.”

17

Précédemment “Previously”

Revenons sur les problèmes mentionnés précédemment. “Let’s go back to the previously mentioned issues.”

18

Actuellement “Currently”	Vous ne pouvez actuellement pas acheter ce produit. “You can’t currently buy this product.”
This is what we call a “false friend.” Although it looks like the English word “actually,” it has a different meaning. “Actually” would translate to en fait. To make things even more confusing, “currently” comes from the same root as couramment which has yet a different meaning (“commonly”). I think I need an Aspirin!

19

Dernièrement “Lately”	Je fume beaucoup dernièrement. “I smoke a lot, lately.”
Dernièrement comes from the word dernier (“last”) but it doesn’t mean “lastly.” This would be enfin or finalement.

20

Soudain “Suddenly”

Il a soudain arrêté de fumer. “He has suddenly stopped smoking.”

21

Alors “Then”

Il a alors commencé à boire. “He then started drinking.”

J’ai enfin terminé ! (“I have finished, at last!”)

2. French Adverbs of Frequency (How Often?)

22

Jamais “Never”

Je n’oublierai jamais. “I will never forget.”

23

Parfois “Sometimes”

Elle mange parfois dehors. “She sometimes eats outside.”

24

Rarement “Rarely”

Je vais rarement au cinéma. “I rarely go to the cinema.”

25

Trop “Too much”	J’ai trop mangé… “I’ve eaten too much…”
It’s also very common to use trop with the meaning of “so,” either in a positive or negative context:  C’est trop bien ! (“It’s so good!”) C’est trop chiant… (“It’s so annoying…”)

26

Souvent “Often”

Tu fais souvent la fête ! “You often have parties!”

27

Habituellement “Usually”	Il se couche habituellement vers minuit. “He usually goes to bed around midnight.”
Habituellement comes from une habitude (“a habit”), and describes something that happens routinely. We use it almost like “usually” for anything that keeps repeating until it becomes predictable.

28

Généralement “Generally,” “Usually”

Ils commencent généralement à l’heure. “They usually start on time.”

29

Couramment “Commonly,” “Fluently”

C’est l’option la plus couramment utilisée. “This is the most commonly used option.” Vous parlez couramment Allemand. “You speak German fluently.”

30

Toujours “Always”

Je t’aimerai toujours. “I will always love you.”

31

Tout le temps “All the time”

Elle a tout le temps faim en ce moment. “She’s always hungry lately.”

32

Quotidiennement “Daily”

Il s’entraîne quotidiennement. “He’s training daily.”

33

Mensuellement “Monthly”

Vous serez prélevé mensuellement. “You will be charged monthly.”

34

Fréquemment “Frequently”

J’ai fréquemment envie d’un gros kebab. “I frequently want a big kebab.”

35

Peut-être “Maybe”	Elle viendra peut-être ce soir. “Maybe she’ll come tonight.”
This weird contraption is the combination of peut (from the verb pouvoir, meaning “can”) and the verb être (“to be”). It literally means “can be” or “may be.” Quite fitting, right?

36

Aussi “As well,” “Too,” “Also”

Tu veux venir aussi ? “Do you also want to come?”

37

Egalement “As well,” “Too,” “Also”	Tu viendras également ? “Will you come as well?”
This is a slightly more sophisticated version of aussi, but they have the same meaning, really.

38

Même “Same”

On a tous les deux la même coiffure. “We both have the same haircut.”

Il s’entraîne quotidiennement. (“He trains daily.”)

3. French Adverbs of Place (Where?)

39

Ici “Here”

Tu viens souvent ici ? “Do you come here often?”

40

Là “There”

Tu peux le mettre là. “You can put it there.”

41

Partout “Everywhere”

Je veux voyager partout ! “I want to travel everywhere!”

42

Nulle part “Nowhere”

Ce chemin ne mène nulle part. “This road is going nowhere.”

43

Quelque part “Somewhere”

Si on continue de marcher, on arrivera quelque part. “If we keep walking, we’ll end up somewhere.”

44

Ailleurs “Somewhere else”

Si on ne peut pas rester ici, on ira ailleurs. “If we can’t stay here, we’ll go somewhere else.”

45

Dedans “Inside”

Tu vois ce qu’il y a dedans ? “Do you see what’s inside?”

46

Dehors “Outside”

Les enfants sont allés jouer dehors. “The kids have gone outside to play.”

47

En haut “Up,” “Above”

Elle a marché tout en haut de la montagne. “She walked all the way up the mountain.”

48

En bas “Down,” “Below”

Elle est revenue en bas pour camper. “We went back down to camp.”

49

Dessus “Over,” “On”

Les ingrédients sont écrits dessus. “The ingredients are written on it.”

50

Dessous “Under,” “Below”

Il est enterré en dessous de ce rocher. “It is buried under this rock.”

51

Loin “Far”

Nous avons marché plus loin que prévu. “We have walked farther than planned.”

52

Près “Close”

Le prochain camp est près du sommet. “The next camp is close to the summit.”

53

Autour “Around,” “Round”

Asseyez-vous autour du feu. “Gather round the fire.”

54

Là-bas “Over there”

Nous y arriverons avant midi. “We will get there before noon.”

Ils marchent loin. (“They walk far.”)

4. French Adverbs of Manner (How?)

55

Bien “Well”

On mange bien ici ! “We eat well here!”

56

Mal “Badly,” “Poorly”

Ce texte est mal traduit. “This text is poorly translated.”

57

Doucement “Softly,” “Quietly”

Parlez doucement, les enfants sont couchés. “Speak softly, the kids are sleeping.”

58

Lentement “Slowly”

Je pédale lentement car je suis fatigué. “I pedal slowly because I’m tired.”

59

Vite “Quickly”

Je pédale plus vite quand je suis en forme. “I pedal faster when I’m in good shape.”

60

Rapidement “Fast,” “Quickly,” “Shortly”

Dis moi si je parle trop rapidement. “Tell me if I speak too fast.”

61

Calmement “Calmly,” “Quietly”

J’attends calmement mon tour. “I quietly wait for my turn.”

62

Joyeusement “Joyfully,” “Happily”

Elle souriait joyeusement. “She was smiling joyfully.”

63

Facilement “Easily”

Tu apprends facilement de nouvelles langues. “You easily learn new languages.”

64

Litttéralement “Literally”

Il y a littéralement des centaines d’adverbes ! “There are literally hundreds of adverbs!”

65

Simplement “Simply,” “Just”

Tu peux simplement le démonter avec cet outil. “You can simply disassemble it with this tool.” Je veux simplement t’aider. “I just want to help you.”

66

Gentiment “Gently”

Demande-moi gentiment. “Ask me nicely (gently).”

67

Heureusement “Luckily”	Heureusement, l’histoire se termine bien. “Luckily, the story ends well.”
Beware of another false friend! Heureusement comes from heureux (“happy”), but it doesn’t mean “happily.” This would be joyeusement or volontiers.

68

Poliment “Politely”

On lui a demandé poliment de partir. “We politely asked him to leave.”

69

Brusquement “Suddenly”

Le sentier s’arrête brusquement. “The trail suddenly stops.”

70

Naturellement “Naturally”

Nous cherchons naturellement un autre chemin. “We naturally look for another way.”

71

Précisemment “Precisely”

Nous marchions depuis précisément une heure. “We were walking for precisely one hour.”

72

Parfaitement “Perfectly”

Je savais parfaitement où nous allions. “I knew perfectly well where we were heading.”

73

Sérieusement “Seriously”

Nous pensons sérieusement à revenir sur nos pas. “We’re seriously considering backtracking.”

74

Ainsi “As well as,” “Thus,” ?	On pourrait ainsi trouver notre chemin. “It would allow us to find our way.”
This one is tough to translate. It often means “as a result,” but in a more subtle way… So subtle that it could often be omitted in most translations.

Je m’excuse poliment. (“I politely apologize.”)

5. French Adverbs of Quantity and Degree (How Much? To What Extent?)

75

Vraiment “Truly,” “Really”

J’ai vraiment faim ! “I’m really hungry!”

76

Plutôt “Rather”

Tu ne veux pas plutôt reprendre un verre ? “Won’t you rather have another drink?”

77

Assez “Enough”

Tu ne crois pas que tu as assez bu ? “Don’t you think you’ve been drinking enough?”

78

Tout “All,” “Everything”

Je veux tout essayer. “I want to try everything.”

79

Rien “Nothing”

Tu n’as encore rien vu. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

80

Surtout “Especially”	J’aime surtout le vin. “I especially love wine.”
Quick tip: Surtout literally means “above all.”

81

Beaucoup “Many,” “Much,” “A lot”

Tu en bois beaucoup. “You drink a lot of it.”

82

Seulement “Only”

J’en ai bu seulement quatre verres. “I only had four glasses.”

83

Presque “Almost”

Tu as presque fini la bouteille. “You almost finished the bottle.”

84

Quasiment “Almost”

La seconde bouteille est quasiment pleine. “The second bottle is almost full.”

85

Peu “Little,” “Few”

Il en reste peu. “There is little left.”

86

Très “Very,” “Really”

Le fromage aussi est très bon ! “The cheese is very good as well!”

87

Nettement “Clearly”

C’est nettement meilleur avec du pain. “It’s clearly better with bread.”

88

Carrément “Totally”

Ah oui, j’avais carrément oublié. “Oh yes, I totally forgot.”

89

Absolument “Absolutely”

Tu dois absolument essayer. “You absolutely need to try.”

90

Franchement “Frankly,” “Really,” “Truly”

C’est franchement délicieux. “It’s really delicious.”

91

Certainement “Certainly,” “Probably”

Celui-ci est certainement mon préféré. “This one is certainly my favorite.”

92

Extrêmement “Extremely”

Il est extrêmement cher. “It’s extremely expensive.”

93

Terriblement “Terribly,” “Badly”

J’en ai terriblement envie. “I badly want it.”

94

Combien “How,” “How much,” “How many”

Tu sais combien ça coûte ? “Do you know how much it cost?”

95

Plus “More”

J’en commanderai plus la prochaine fois. “I will order more next time.”

96

Davantage “More”	J’en commanderai davantage tout à l’heure. “I will order more later.”
This is the sophisticated version of plus. Both have very similar meanings.

97

Moins “Less”

Je dépenserais moins, si j’étais toi. “I would spend less, if I were you.”

98

Tant “That much,” “So much,” “So many”

J’ai tant d’argent que je peux payer ce soir. “I have so much money that I can pay tonight.”

99

Tellement “So,” “So much,” “So many”

Tu es sûr ? C’est tellement cher. “Are you sure? It’s so expensive.”

100

Environ “About,” “Approximately”

Il y en a pour environ 100€. “It will be around 100€.”

→Learn more useful French adverbs with our free vocabulary list on the Position and Direction Adverbs.

Ils boivent vraiment trop. (“They really drink too much.”)

3. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

In this guide, you’ve learned everything about French adverbs, from their formation to their placement in a sentence. You’ve also studied a list of the 100 most useful French adverbs. Did I forget any important adverb that you know? Do you feel ready to add them to your speech and impress your French-speaking friends with your tasteful and accurate descriptions?

FrenchPod101 also has tons of vocabulary lists with audio recordings, and free resources to boost your studies and keep your French learning fresh and entertaining!
Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching with your private teacher, who will help you practice with adverbs and more. Your teacher will also give you assignments, personalized exercises, and recorded audio samples, and will review your own recordings to help improve your pronunciation. Happy learning on FrenchPod101.com!

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in French! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a French keyboard.

Table of Contents

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in French
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for French
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
4. How to Change the Language Settings to French on Your Computer
5. Activating the French Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
6. French Keyboard Typing Tips
7. How to Practice Typing French

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in French

Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:

• Get the most out of any dictionary and French language apps on your devices
• Expand your ability to find French websites and use the various search engines
• Be able to communicate much better online with your French teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process! 

2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for French

It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in French. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.

On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to French, so all text will appear in French. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!

On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.

3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer

1- Mac

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”

3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”

2- Windows

1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.

2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”

3- Online Keyboards

If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:

• LEXILOGOS
• typeit
• Branah

4- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers

Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.

4. How to Change the Language Settings to French on Your Computer

Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the French language pack for your operating system of choice:

• Windows 8 (and higher)
• Windows 7
• Mac (OS X and higher)

1- Windows 8 (and higher)

1. Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
2. Click on “Add a Language” and select “French.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as French with the note “language pack available.”
3. Click on “Français” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
4. As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “French.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.

2- Windows 7

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.

2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”

3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “French.”

4. Expand the option of “French” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “French.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”

3- Mac (OS X and higher)

If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region

1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.

3. Click on the plus button, select “French,” and add the “French” keyboard.

5. Activating the French Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet

Texting and searching in French will greatly help you master the language! Adding a French keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.

You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.

Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

1- iOS

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.

2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”

3. Select “French” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.

2- Android

1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.

2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.

3. Select “French” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.

3- Applications for Mobile Phones

If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, this is a good app to consider:

• French for Smart Keyboard

6. French Keyboard Typing Tips

Typing in French can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your French keyboard.

1- Computer

• If you prefer, there’s an option to use the international keyboard instead. To do this, your computer will need a control panel configuration.

2- Mobile Phones

• For iPhone: You have to go to the App Store and find the keyboard app that you want.
  • Tap “Get” > “Install.”
  • Then add the new keyboard. Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Keyboard” > “Keyboards” > Choose “Add a new keyboard,” and then select the app that you installed. 
• For Android: In the “Keyboard & Input Methods” section, tap on “Virtual Keyboard.”
  • Tap on the Gboard Keyboard to open its settings.
  • Tap on “Languages.”
  • In order to add a different keyboard input language that’s different from the language you use daily, you need to first disable the “Use System Languages” button. Once you do, that, you’ll be able to add any input language you want for your keyboard.
  • Choose all the keyboard layouts that you need by turning on the switch to the right of their names. 

7. How to Practice Typing French

As you probably know by now, learning French is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your French typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a FrenchPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your French keyboard to do this!

Haven’t we all heard that we should live in the present, soak in the moment, and avoid dwelling on the past or fearing the future? Well…forget about all that as you jump on the conjugation train! You’ll learn how to talk about the past and tell cool life stories, and how to shape the future by planning for dates or festivities.

French conjugation can seem overwhelming at first, and it’s undeniably more complex than English conjugation, but once you start getting the inner logic, it will all make sense. With three groups, lots of tenses, and literal truckloads of exceptions, you’ll have plenty of material to stay busy for a while. But fear not: You really just need to learn the most useful verbs and how to handle regular verbs, and you can learn the rest of the French conjugation rules along the way.

In this article, we’ll cover all the French conjugation basics you need to get started, from the ABCs of French verb conjugation to the handling of regular (ER and IR) verbs and irregular verbs. And of course, we’ll provide plenty of examples for you to practice and get the hang of it!

Table of Contents

1. What is Conjugation?
2. Verb Groups
3. French Conjugation Examples
4. Irregular Verbs and Their Conjugations
5. Test Your Knowledge!
6. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

1. What is Conjugation?

French conjugation defines how verbs change depending on the person, mood, voice, and tense.

Now, what does that mean exactly? Let’s find out!

1- Person

1st person singular	je	“I”
2nd person singular	tu / vous	“you” (casual) / “you” (formal)
3rd person singular	il / elle	“he” / “she”
1st person plural	nous	“we”
2nd person plural	vous	“you”
3rd person plural	Ils / elles	“they” (male) / “they” (female)

Unlike in English, French verbs change with every different “person.”

For example:

• Je parle. (“I talk.”)
• Nous parlons. (“We talk.”)

2- Mood

Le mode (“the mood”) in French, refers to the attitude of the speaker toward the action of the verb. Do they believe the statement, is it hypothetical, or is it an order?

Indicatif (“Indicative”)	Je parle. (“I talk.”)	To express facts and reality. This is, by far, the most common mood in French.
Subjonctif (“Subjunctive”)	Tu veux que je parle. (“You want me to talk.”)	To express something possible or uncertain. In our example, the fact that you want me to talk doesn’t imply that I will. It’s uncertain.
Conditionnel (“Conditional”)	Je parlerais. (“I would talk.”)	Often listed as a tense, it’s also a mood in French. It refers to a condition or possibility.
Impératif (“Imperative”)	Parle ! (“Talk!”)	We use it to give orders or instructions.
Participe (“Participle”)	Parlant (“Talking”)	A word formed from a verb and used as an adjective.
Infinitive (“Infinitive”)	Parler (“To talk”)	Default, basic form of a verb.

3- Voice

Les voix (“voices”) are much simpler than the moods, as there are only two: passive and active.

• In active voice, the subject performs the action.
  Sophie mange le fromage. (“Sophie eats the apple.”)

• In passive voice, the action is performed on the subject.
  Le fromage est mangé par Sophie. (“The cheese is eaten by Sophie.”)

4- Tense

French has simple and compound tenses. Simple tenses are conjugated by just changing the verb, while compound tenses use an auxiliary (être or avoir) together with the verb.

For example:

• Je parle. (“I talk.”) — Simple tense: Présent.
• J’ai parlé. (“I have talked.”) — Compound tense: Passé composé.

Here’s the list of French tenses:

Indicatif présent Indicatif imparfait Indicatif passé simple Indicatif futur simple Subjonctif présent Subjonctif imparfait Conditionnel présent Impératif présent

Indicatif passé composé Indicatif plus-que-parfait Indicatif passé antérieur Indicatif futur antérieur Subjonctif passé Subjonctif plus-que-parfait Conditionnel passé 1re forme Conditionnel passé 2e forme Impératif passé

It looks quite overwhelming, right? But to be fair, we typically use five or six tenses on a daily basis, often less in spoken French (many tenses are only for literary purposes).

Je mange du fromage. (“I eat cheese.”)

2. Verb Groups

It’s very common when learning French verbs to start with a lesson on verb groups. There are officially three groups:

• French verbs ending with ER
• French verbs ending with IR
• French verbs ending with RE

In a perfect world, each of these groups would follow a strict set of rules, and knowing the groups would allow you to easily conjugate new verbs while dancing with happy unicorns in a field of rainbows. Of course, the reality is different, and French verb groups won’t help you much with anything.

The first group is mostly regular and we love it for that. The other two groups are a giant mess with so many irregularities that you could just forget about it. Yet, I still believe it’s important to know that these groups exist, as they’ll be frequently mentioned in grammar books or lessons. At the very least, you should be aware of their existence and general rules. Just don’t rely too much on their false promises!

3. French Conjugation Examples

Just like in any language, the more useful and common verbs are very likely to be irregular. Verbs like être (“to be”), avoir (“to have”), and faire (“to do”) are prime examples for this state of affairs.

But no matter what, learning how to deal with regular verbs will take you a long way. When you see how many verbs behave similarly, you’ll get a grasp of how regular verbs work. 

Penser (“To think”) ← This is the infinitive form of a first-group verb

Pens ← This is the “stem”

1st sg (“I”)	2nd sg (“you”)	3rd sg (“she”)	1st pl (“we”)	2nd pl (“you”)	3rd pl (“they”)
Stem + e	Stem + es	Stem + e	Stem + ons	Stem + ez	Stem + ent
Je pense	Tu penses	Elle pense	Nous pensons	Vous pensez	Ils pensent

 Now, let’s dive into a few more verb examples!

1- First Group Verbs

The first group is the most regular group. Most verbs ending in -ER belong to this group, and they usually behave well. Of course, you can find plenty of exceptions, such as aller (“to go”), that look just like a first group verb but are not. But no need to worry about that now. Let’s start with our beloved regular verbs:

Parler (“To talk”) – 1st group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	parle	parlai	parlais	parlerai	parle	parlerais	–
tu	parles	parlas	parlais	parleras	parles	parlerais	parle
il / elle	parle	parla	parlait	parlera	parles	parlerait	–
nous	parlons	parlâmes	parlions	parlerons	parlions	parlerions	parlons
vous	parlez	parlâtes	parliez	parlerez	parliez	parleriez	parlez
ils / elles	parlent	parlèrent	parlaient	parleront	parlent	parleraient	–

Aimer (“To love”) – 1st group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	aime	aimai	aimais	aimerai	aime	aimerais	–
tu	aimes	aimas	aimais	aimeras	aimes	aimerais	aime
il / elle	aime	aima	aimait	aimera	aimes	aimerait	–
nous	aimons	aimâmes	aimions	aimerons	aimions	aimerions	aimons
vous	aimez	aimâtes	aimiez	aimerez	aimiez	aimeriez	aimez
ils / elles	aiment	aimèrent	aimaient	aimeront	aiment	aimeraient	–

Manger (“To eat”) – 1st group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	mange	mangeai	mangeais	mangerai	mange	mangerais	–
tu	manges	mangeas	mangeais	mangeras	manges	mangerais	mange
il / elle	mange	mangea	mangeait	mangera	manges	mangerait	–
nous	mangeons	mangeâmes	mangions	mangerons	mangions	mangerions	mangeons
vous	mangez	mangeâtes	mangiez	mangerez	mangiez	mangeriez	mangez
ils / elles	mangent	mangèrent	mangeaient	mangeront	mangent	mangeraient	–

Wait, this regular verb is behaving differently!

Why is it nous mangeons (“we eat”) and not nous mangons?

This is because we want the stem (mang-) to always keep the same [ʒ] sound (the first sound of je or jour).

When the letter G is followed by the letters A or O, it’s pronounced like a [g] sound (the first sound of gant or gorille). 

To preserve the original sound, we add the letter E between the stem (mang-) and the ending (ons). As a result, we get: mangeons.

The same goes for every verb with a stem ending with the letter G.

• Changer (“To change”) — Nous changeons
• Ronger (“To gnaw”) — Nous rongeons

Similarly, verbs with a stem ending with C change it to Ç (also to preserve the original sound of the stem).

• Avancer (“To move forward”) — Nous avançons
• Commencer (“To begin”) — Nous commençons

Elles aiment parler. (“They like to talk.”)

2- Second Group Verbs

So, the second-group verbs are the ones ending with -IR? Nope!

You’ll find that ninety percent of the most common verbs ending in -IR are from the third group, but nonetheless, many IR verbs fit the bill and follow the rules of the second group. Here’s how they look:

Choisir (“To choose”) – 2nd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	choisis	choisis	choisissais	choisirai	choisisse	choisirais	–
tu	choisis	choisis	choisissais	choisiras	choisisses	choisirais	choisis
il / elle	choisit	choisit	choisissait	choisira	choisisse	choisirait	–
nous	choisissons	choisîmes	choisissions	choisirons	choisissions	choisirions	choisissons
vous	choisissez	choisîtes	choisissiez	choisirez	choisissiez	choisiriez	choisissez
ils / elles	choisissent	choisirent	choisissaient	choisiront	choisissent	choisiraient	–

Finir (“To finish”) – 2nd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	finis	finis	finissais	finirai	finisse	finirais	–
tu	finis	finis	finissais	finiras	finisses	finirais	finis
il / elle	finit	finit	finissait	finira	finisse	finirait	–
nous	finissons	finîmes	finissions	finirons	finissions	finirions	finissons
vous	finissez	finîtes	finissiez	finirez	finissiez	finiriez	finissez
ils / elles	finissent	finirent	finissaient	finiront	finissent	finiraient	–

Agir (“To act”) – 2nd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	agis	agis	agissais	agirai	agisse	agirais	–
tu	agis	agis	agissais	agiras	agisses	agirais	agis
il / elle	agit	agit	agissait	agira	agisse	agirait	–
nous	agissons	agîmes	agissions	agirons	agissions	agirions	agissons
vous	agissez	agîtes	agissiez	agirez	agissiez	agiriez	agissez
ils / elles	agissent	agirent	agirent	agiront	agissent	agiraient	–

→ Make sure to visit our vocabulary list of 50 Useful French Verbs, with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation. It’s freely available on FrenchPod101.com.

Difficile de choisir (“Difficult to choose”)

4. Irregular Verbs and Their Conjugations

Nobody likes irregular verbs. They’re like rebellious teenagers, breaking the rules for the sake of it. But believe me, there’s no way around French irregular verbs. The top ten most useful French verbs are all irregular. And if you go further down the list, you’ll be surprised how long you have to browse before finding a well-mannered verb from the first or second group. How do you go about conjugating French verbs like this?

First of all, let’s talk about our auxiliaries. 

Être (“to be”) and avoir (“to have”) are auxiliary verbs, which makes them the two most important French verbs. We use them to form compound tenses such as passé composé and subjonctif passé.

Here’s an example of passé composé with the verb manger (“to eat”):

• Présent: Je mange. (“I eat.”)
• Passé composé: J’ai mangé. (“I have eaten.”)

Here’s another example with the verb tomber (“to fall”):

• Présent: Je tombe. (“I fall.”)

Passé composé:Je suis tombé. (“I have fallen.”)

/! When should I use être or avoir? We use avoir in most situations, except for these two cases: 1) We use être for all pronominal verbs (those starting with se) For example: se lever (“to stand up”) Présent: Je me lève. (“I stand up.”) Passé composé: Je me suis levé. (“I have stood up.”) 2) We also use être for a few other verbs, most of them reflecting a change of direction, state, or movement. Some examples: monter, rester, retourner, descendre, passer, venir, aller, entrer, sortir, arriver, partir, tomber

Now, let’s see how to conjugate our beloved auxiliaries:

Être (“To be”) – 3rd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Conditional
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je / j’	suis	fus	étais	serai	sois	serais	–
tu	es	fus	étais	seras	sois	serais	sois
il / elle	est	fut	était	sera	soit	serait	–
nous	sommes	fûmes	étions	serons	soyons	serions	soyons
vous	êtes	fûtes	étiez	serez	soyez	seriez	soyez
ils / elles	sont	furent	étaient	seront	soient	seraient	–

Avoir (“To have”) – 3rd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
j’	ai	eus	avais	aurai	aie	eusse	–
tu	as	eus	avais	auras	aies	eusses	aie
il / elle	a	eut	avait	aura	ait	eût	–
nous	avons	eûmes	avions	aurons	ayons	eussions	ayons
vous	avez	eûtes	aviez	aurez	ayez	eussiez	ayez
ils / elles	ont	eurent	avaient	auront	aient	eussent	–

Next stop: more irregularities, with aller (“to go”), one of the most common and equally misbehaving verbs. 

Aller (“To go”) – 3rd group verb

	Indicative				Subjunctive	Conditional	Imperative
	Present	Simple past	Imperfect	Future	Present	Present	Present
je	vais	allai	allais	irai	aille	irais	–
tu	vas	allais	allais	iras	ailles	irais	va
il / elle	va	allait	allait	ira	ailles	irait	–
nous	allons	allâmes	allions	irons	allions	irions	allons
vous	allez	allâtes	alliez	irez	alliez	iriez	allez
ils / elles	vont	allèrent	allaient	iront	aillent	iraient	–

→ Learn more verbs and their pronunciations with our free vocabulary list on the Top 10 Travel Verbs.

5. Test Your Knowledge!

Ready for a bit of practice? Take our French conjugations quiz! 

Try to fill in the blanks with the correct form for each verb. Don’t worry if you can’t find everything. We’ll go through it together. =)

1. Elle (manger) ______ du fromage tous les jours.
   (“She eats cheese everyday.”)
   
2. Je (guérir) ______ dans quelques jours.
   (“I will heal in a few days.”)
   
3. Pendant les vacances, tu (dormir) ______ comme une souche !
   (“During the vacations, you were sleeping like a log!”)
   
4. Ils (demander) ______ de l’aide.
   (“They have asked for help.”)
   
5. Nous (répondre) ______ si nous avions le temps.
   (“We would answer if we had time.”)

“Look, blank post-its to write down your irregular verbs!”

Alright, let’s have a closer look at each of these bad boys:

1- “She eats cheese.” 

This is something that she does everyday. This looks like a case of présent (“present tense”).

If you go back to Chapter 3. 1- First Group Verbs, you’ll find the conjugation table for the verb manger. With elle, it’s gonna be: elle mange.

Note:  We also use présent for an action that’s happening right now:

• “I eat cheese.” (Je mange du fromage.)
• “I’m eating cheese.” (Je mange du fromage.)

Answer: 

Elle mange du fromage tous les jours.
(“She eats cheese everyday.”)

2- “I will heal” is something that will happen in the future. I’m sick or injured, and I will heal in a few days.
Let’s use the futur (“future tense”).

Guérir is a regular verb from the second group and behaves like choisir. In future tense, with je and the future tense, we have: Je guérirai.

Note: We also have the equivalent of “I’m going to” for the near future. And luckily, it’s very similar in English and French, as we use the verb aller (“to go”):

• “I will heal.” (Je guérirai.)
• “I’m going to heal.” (Je vais guérir.)

Answer: 

Je guérirai dans quelques jours.
(“I will heal in a few days.”)

3- “You were sleeping” is a continuous action in the past, making it an ideal candidate for imparfait (“imperfect tense”).

Dormir really looks like a second-group verb, right? Well, it’s not! If you check its conjugation table, you’ll find how to put it in imperfect tense: Tu dormais.

Answer: 

Pendant les vacances, tu dormais comme une souche !
(“During the vacations, you were sleeping like a log!”)

4- “They have asked” is a brief action in the past and a perfect fit for the passé composé (“perfect tense”).

Demander ends with ER, so it’s safe to say that this is a first-group verb. Have a look at the conjugation tables in the early chapters, and you’ll find: Ils ont demandé. When in doubt, you can always double-check it online.

Answer: 

Ils ont demandé de l’aide.
(“They have asked for help.”)

5- “We would answer” describes a condition or a possibility. This is a textbook case of conditionnel (“conditional”).

Répondre ends with RE, which makes it part of the third group. On its conjugation table, you’ll find what we need here: Nous répondrions.

Answer: 

Nous répondrions si nous avions le temps.
(“We would answer if we had time.”)

→ Do you feel ready for more verbs? Be sure to visit our article on the 100 Must-Know French Verbs. It’s full of tips and examples to help you handle any daily situation!

Average French kid learning his 458th irregular verb.

6. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

In this guide, you’ve learned all the basics of French verb conjugation, from ER and IR verbs, to tenses, common irregular verbs, and how to deal with them all.

Did we forget any important tense or rule you’d like to learn about? Do you feel ready to grab some of these French verbs by the horns and conjugate the pulp out of them, using everything you’ve learned today?

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101, as it has plenty of free resources for you to practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to review the words and learn their pronunciations.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. Practice conjugating French verbs in various tenses with your private teacher so they can give you personalized feedback and advice, and help you with the pronunciation.

Happy French learning!

About the Author: Born and bred in the rainy north of France, Cyril Danon has been bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the World. Now, after quenching his wanderlust for the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

What are the most prominent cultural facets of your country? How do you commemorate or celebrate them, if at all?

In France, the European Heritage Days are a manifestation nationale (“national event”) set aside for exploring French culture and history. From free wine tastings and tours to elaborate music festivals, there’s an experience for everyone! 

In this article, you’ll learn all about European Heritage Days and pick up some useful vocabulary. Let’s get started!

1. What are the European Heritage Days?

European Heritage Days, (also called European Heritage “Open” Days), are an annuelle (“annual”) celebration of the unique heritage each European country possesses. The Ministère de la Culture Française (“French Ministry of Cultural Affairs”) launched this celebration in 1984 at the initiative of Minister Jack Lang, and many other European countries soon followed suit. Today, under the Council of Europe and European Commission, every state in the European Cultural Convention celebrates a form of Heritage Day. 

Still, perhaps no European country has a more substantial celebration as France. At the time of this writing, there are forty-two UNESCO World Heritage sites in France alone, and over 400,000 protected monuments and sites. Add to that the country’s intensive history, magnificent foods and wines unmatched the world over, and the lovely French language. It should come as no surprise that this holiday has met with such success, drawing in millions of tourists each year. 

To keep the excitement alive, the European Heritage Days Assembly announces a special theme for the holiday each year. In 2020, the theme is going to be “Heritage and Education.”

→ Oh, and what else happens in September? French Gastronomy Day! 

2. The Date of EHD Every Year

The European Heritage Days begin during the third weekend of September. For your convenience, following is a list of this holiday’s date for the next ten years.

• 2020: September 19 to September 20
• 2021: September 18 to September 19
• 2022: September 17 to September 18
• 2023: September 16 to September 17
• 2024: September 21 to September 22
• 2025: September 20 to September 21
• 2026: September 19 to September 20
• 2027: September 18 to September 19
• 2028: September 16 to September 17
• 2029: September 15 to September 16

3. Traditions & Celebrations for European Heritage Days

France is crowded for European Heritage Days, especially in areas that are already significant tourist hotspots (a.k.a. Paris).

This is because museums and certain historical sites that are typically closed year-round are open to the public over the weekend to promote cultural education. European Heritage Days in Paris means gratuit (“free”) entry into a number of major sites—an opportunity you can’t miss! 

Schools often take advantage of this holiday to educate their students on the cultural marvels of France. Museums host free European Heritage Days tours for school groups on the Friday prior, giving students and teachers the opportunity to explore and learn without the hassle of large crowds.

For European Heritage Days, Paris also provides an array of culture-oriented workshops and guided tours for the general public. Examples include a stroll through a cemetery, a walk-and-talk with a major academic, and the chance to win prizes and exclusive tours! 

→ See our list of the Top 10 Weekend Activities to learn how else the French might spend the weekend (because who likes crowds?). 

4. Visiting? Here are Some Must-See Places.

There are a couple of places we highly recommend you visit if you’ll be in France for the holiday weekend.

Bercy Village

Bercy Village is known for its old-fashioned charm, combined with its penchant for modern architecture. 

In Bercy Village, European Heritage Days are the perfect chance to explore the green fields of Bercy Park, the Ministère de l’économie de l’industrie et de l’emploi (open exclusively for this weekend), and the gorgeous cafes and outdoor shopping stalls. 

In 2020, Bercy Village will also have a unique flower presentation all summer long, ending in mid-October. 

Bordeaux 

During the European Heritage Days, Bordeaux is the place to go to watch grape-harvesting ceremonies, attend music festivals, and sip on wine while taking night tours of a castle. (Yes, you read that right.)

You can read more about what to expect in Bordeaux here, and learn The Top Tourist Attractions in France with FrenchPod101.com. 

5. Essential EHD Vocabulary

Let’s review some of the vocabulary words and phrases from this article: 

• Museum – Musée [noun, masculine]
• Country – Pays [noun, masculine]
• National event – Manifestation nationale
• Annual – Annuelle [adjective]
• Fifty – Cinquante [adjective, masculine]
• Open day – Journée portes ouvertes [feminine]
• Historical monument – Monument historique [masculine]
• French Ministry of Cultural Affairs – Ministère de la Culture Française [masculine]
• End of August – Fin août [feminine]
• Beginning of November – Début novembre [masculine]
• Free – Gratuit [adjective]

Remember that you can hear the pronunciation of each word on our French European Heritage Days vocabulary list! 

Final Thoughts

What do you say? Are wine tastings, flowers in the sky, and free museum entry enough to convince you to visit France? Let us know in the comments!

Before you head out, though, you’ll need to have some basic French knowledge:

• Top 30 Travel Phrases You Should Know
• Top 10 Conversational Phrases

To learn even more about French culture and holidays, see the following blog posts on FrenchPod101.com, or visit the archive:

• French Etiquette: 7 Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting France
• Fête de la Musique: Celebrating World Music Day in France

We hope to see you around!

Did you get the chance to read our previous articles on 100 Nouns and 100 Adjectives? In that case, I guess you saw this one coming! To complete your French arsenal, I present you with the most common and useful French verbs. 

They’ll greatly expand your capacity to build interesting phrases, as well as enhance your reading and listening skills. More importantly, they’ll get you through most of your daily interactions and you’re not likely to be caught off-guard once you’ve mastered them.
In this article, we’ll cover everything from French verb conjugation—including -er and -ir verbs—reflexive verbs, and of course, a list of the top 100 verbs for you to add to your vocabulary.

Table of Contents

1. Mastering French Verbs
2. The 100 Most Useful French Verbs
3. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

1. Mastering French Verbs

1- French Tenses are Scary

If you know a bit about French verb conjugation, you know it can be intimidating, with many groups, tenses, and exceptions. However, once you start understanding the logic underneath, you’ll soon brush this first impression off.

Of course, coming from the English language, even the Présent tense can seem a bit overwhelming, with distinct endings for each pronoun:

• Je pense
• Tu penses
• Il / Elle pense
• Nous pensons
• Vous pensez
• Ils pensent

This is not an article about tenses, and we’ll stick to the Présent for most of the examples, with occasional notes on the Passé composé (one of the three most common tenses in spoken French, alongside Present and Near Future).

And for all your conjugation needs, I suggest that you bookmark this website (or any similar online resource): https://la-conjugaison.nouvelobs.com/. Also keep in mind that FrenchPod101 will soon have another article dedicated to French verb conjugation rules! 

2- The Curse of Irregular Verbs

One important thing to keep in mind is that, like in most languages, the most prominent verbs are also the most irregular ones. People have been using these verbs so much over the centuries that they had plenty of opportunities to evolve, mutate, and twist in mysterious ways, to the point where some of their conjugated forms differ wildly from the infinitive. 

You shouldn’t be put off by the first verbs you’ll learn, such as être (“to be”) or aller (“to go”). Just like in English, these verbs are highly irregular. But I still recommend that you learn them first, as they’re also some of the absolute most useful French verbs you’ll encounter.

3- The Bliss of Regular Verbs

In the meantime, many other verbs will show similarities, and from them, you’ll get a grasp of how regular verbs work. 

Understanding regular French verbs early on will allow you to navigate through this list with much more ease, so here’s everything there is to know about conjugating French verbs:

Penser (“to think”) ← This is the infinitive form

Pens ← This is the “stem”

1st sg (I)	2nd sg (you)	3rd sg (she)	1st pl (we)	2nd pl (you)	3rd pl (they)
Stem + e	Stem + es	Stem + e	Stem + ons	Stem + ez	Stem + ent
Je pense	Tu penses	Elle pense	Nous pensons	Vous pensez	Ils pensent

4- Should You Care About Verb Groups?

Short answer: No.

Oh well, let me elaborate a little. It’s very common when learning French verbs to start with a lesson on verb groups. There are three groups based on verb endings:

• French ER verbs
• French IR verbs
• French RE verbs

Each of these groups follows a given set of rules that you can use as guidelines to conjugate virtually any French verb. Pretty cool, right? Except it doesn’t work.

The first group is somewhat regular…let’s say for the most part. Then, the other two groups are such a giant mess of irregularities that it doesn’t make sense to try and rely on groups at all. You’ll see that many of the IR and RE verbs from this very list don’t abide by any fixed set of rules. For that reason, I won’t talk about it any further.

5- How to Effectively Learn French Verbs

Understanding French verbs in their entirety may seem like an impossible task, and you’re probably wondering how to memorize French verbs easily and effectively. 

To quickly pick up on French verbs and conjugation, I recommend jumping right into it! Don’t clutter your memory with countless rules and conjugation tables. Instead, read the examples from this article’s verbs list and try to figure out for yourself the inner workings of their conjugation. Here are some questions to get you started:

• How does the infinitive end?
• How does it end now that it’s conjugated with this pronoun?
• Is it working like similar verbs I’ve seen before or could it be irregular?

The more you figure out by yourself, the more confident you’ll become with verbs and the quicker you’ll be able to handle them without overthinking it and dwelling on textbook rules. Only then can you consider reviewing what you’ve learned with some more academic material and get a better idea of the big picture.

Now, let’s review our French verbs list for beginners! 

→ Make sure to visit our vocabulary list on the most useful French verbs for absolute beginners, with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation. It’s freely available on FrenchPod101.

2. The 100 Most Useful French Verbs

These are French verbs used in daily life that you’ll hear over and over again in France. What are you waiting for? Get cracking!

1

être “to be”

Je suis Français. “I am French.”

2

avoir “to have”

Tu as une maison à Paris. “You have a house in Paris.”

Être and avoir are auxiliary verbs, which makes them the two most important French verbs. We use them to form compound conjugations in tenses such as passé composé and past subjunctive.

Here’s an example of passé composé with the verb manger (“to eat”):

• Présent: Je mange (“I eat”)
• Passé composé: J’ai mangé (“I have eaten”)

Here’s another example with the verb tomber (“to fall”):

• Présent: Je tombe (“I fall”)

• Passé composé: Je suis tombé (“I have fallen”)

/! When should I use the French auxiliary verbs être or avoir? We use avoir in most situations, except for these two cases: 1) We use être for all pronominal verbs (those starting with se) For example: se lever (“to stand up”) Présent: Je me lève (“I stand up”) Passé composé: Je me suis levé (“I have stood up”) 2) We also use être for a few other verbs, most of them reflecting a change of direction, state, or movement. Some examples: monter, rester, retourner, descendre, passer, venir, aller, entrer, sortir, arriver, partir, tomber

Now that our auxiliaries are under control, let’s get back to our list!

3

aller “to go”	Vous allez à l’école le lundi. “You go to school on Mondays.”
Aller is used to form one of the most important tenses of spoken French: Near Future. Tu vas voir ! (“You will see!”) Ils vont s’amuser. (“They will have fun.”)

4

vouloir “to want,” “to wish”

Vous voulez du café ? “Do you want some coffee?”

5

pouvoir “can,” “to be able”

Il peut venir ce soir. “He can come tonight.”

6

devoir “must,” “to have to,” “to owe”	Nous devons y aller. “We need to go.”
Devoir is also a noun, meaning “duty.” L’appel du devoir (“The call of duty“)

7

falloir “to have to”

Il faut le voir pour le croire. “You have to see it to believe it.”

8

faire “to do,” “to make”

Ils font la paix. “They are making peace.”

9

dire “to tell,” “to say”

Tu dis ce que tu penses. “You say what you think.”

10

parler “to speak”

Nous parlons souvent. “We speak often.”

11

aimer “to like,” “to love”	J’aime le fromage. “I love cheese.”
It’s interesting to notice that “to like” and “to love” translate into the same French verb. So, when I say: J’aime ma femme (“I love my wife”) and J’aime le fromage (“I love cheese”), it conveys a similar intensity. Not so romantic now, are we?

12

mettre “to put,” “to place”

Je mets le rôti au four. “I put the roast in the oven.”

13

remettre “to put back”

Tu remets ton chapeau. “You’re putting your hat back.”

14

poser “to put down,” “to ask”

Il pose son sac dans la chambre. “He’s putting his bag in the bedroom.” Elle pose trop de questions. “She’s asking too many questions.”

15

prendre “to take,” “to catch,” “to capture”

Il prend le bus tous les jours. “He takes the bus everyday.”

16

donner “to give”

Nous donnerons bientôt notre réponse. “We will give our answer shortly.”

17

savoir “to know”

Je ne sais pas. “I don’t know.”

18

voir “to see”

Les chats voient dans le noir. “Cats can see in the dark.”

19

entendre “to hear”

Ils ont entendu un bruit. “They have heard a noise.”

20

demander “to ask,” “to request”

Tu as demandé l’addition ? “Did you ask for the check?”

21

répondre “to answer,” “to reply”

Il répond à un email. “He’s answering an email.”

22

chercher “to look for”

Nous cherchons un appartement. “We are looking for a flat.”

23

trouver “to find,” “to discover”

Il trouve toujours une solution. “He always finds a solution.”

24

retrouver “to regain,” “to meet up”

On se retrouve devant la gare. “We’re meeting in front of the train station.”

25

rendre “to return,” “to give back,” “to make”

Tu vas rendre cet argent. “You will give this money back.”

26

venir “to come”

Nous venons en paix. “We come in peace.”

27

passer “to pass,” “to go,” “to come”

Il est passé par ici. “He came this way.”

28

croire “to believe,” “to think”

Je crois qu’il est là. “I think he’s here.”

29

montrer “to show”

Montrez-moi vos mains. “Show me your hands.”

30

commencer “to begin,” “to start”

Le film commence maintenant. “The movie is starting now.”

31

continuer “to continue,” “to keep going”

Continuez tout droit. “Keep going straight.”

32

penser “to think”

Je ne pense pas. “I don’t think so.”

33

comprendre “to understand,” “to include,” “to comprehend”

Ils ne comprennent rien. “They don’t understand anything.”

34

rester “to stay,” “to remain”

Restez calme. “Remain calm.”

35

attendre “to wait”

J’attends mon bus. “I’m waiting for my bus.”

36

partir “to leave”

Tu pars demain ? “Are you leaving tomorrow?”

37

arriver “to arrive,” “to happen”

Il est arrivé en retard. “He arrived late.” Ça arrive tous les jours. “It happens everyday.”

38

suivre “to follow”

Suivez cette voiture ! “Follow this car!”

39

revenir “to come back”

Nous revenons de vacances. “We are coming back from vacation.”

40

connaître “to know”

Ils connaissent ce restaurant. “They know this restaurant.”

41

compter “to count”

Je vais compter jusqu’à 10. “I will count to 10.”

42

permettre “to permit,” “to allow”	Ils nous permettent d’entrer. “They allow us to enter.”
French idiom time! Tu permets ? (“Do you mind?”) [Casual] Vous permettez ? (“Would you mind?”) [Polite]

43

s’occuper “to take care of”

Il s’occupe des enfants. “He’s taking care of the kids.”

44

sembler “to seem”

Cela semble certain. “It seems certain.”

45

lire “to read”

Elle lit le journal. “She’s reading the newspapers.”

Nous lisons un livre. (“We are reading a book.”)

46

écrire “to write”

Nous écrivons sur un blog. “We are writing on a blog.”

47

devenir “to become,” “to turn into”

Je veux devenir pilote. “I want to become a pilot.”

48

décider “to decide”

Vous avez décidé de venir ? “Did you decide to come?”

49

tenir “to hold”

Je te tiendrai la main. “I will hold your hand.”

50

porter “to carry,” “to wear”

Il est interdit de porter des bretelles. “It is forbidden to wear suspenders.”

51

servir “to serve”

Ils servent de la soupe. “They are serving soup.”

52

laisser “to leave,” “to allow,” “to let”

Laissez-moi tranquille ! “Leave me alone!”

53

envoyer “to send”

Ils vont l’envoyer par la poste. “They will send it by mail.”

54

recevoir “to receive”

Elle ne l’a pas encore reçu. “She didn’t receive it yet.”

55

vivre “to live”

Nous vivons en Russie. “We live in Russia.”

56

appeler “to call”

Je t’appelle plus tard. “I’ll call you later.”

57

rappeler “to remind,” “to call back”

Je te rappelle dans un moment. “I’ll call you back in a moment.”

58

présenter “to introduce,” “to present”

Je te présenterai ma fiancée. “I’ll introduce you to my fiancée.”

59

accepter “to accept”

Nous acceptons Visa et Mastercard. “We accept Visa and Mastercard.”

60

refuser “to refuse”

Il a refusé de travailler là. “He refused to work there.”

61

agir “to act”

Tu agis bizarrement. “You’re acting weird.”

62

jouer “to play”

Vous jouez à quoi ? “What are you playing?”

63

reconnaître “to recognize,” “to acknowledge”

Je ne l’avais pas reconnue. “I didn’t recognize her.”

64

choisir “to choose,” “to select”

Choisis bien ! “Choose well!”

65

toucher “to touch”

Je peux toucher ? “Can I touch?”

66

expliquer “to explain”

Expliquez moi comment y aller. “Explain to me how to go there.”

67

Se lever “to stand up,” “to get out of bed”

Je me lève tous les jours à 8h. “I get out of bed everyday at 8 o’clock.”

68

ouvrir “to open”

Il ouvre son cadeau. “He’s opening his present.”

69

gagner “to win,” “to earn”

On a gagné ! “We won!”

70

perdre “to lose”

Tu perds la tête. “You’re losing your mind.”

71

exister “to exist”

Ça existe encore ? “Does it still exist?”

72

réussir “to succeed,” “to manage”

J’ai réussi à le réparer. “I managed to fix it.”

73

changer “to change”

Il va changer de coiffure. “He will change his haircut.”

74

travailler “to work”

Nous travaillons dans l’informatique. “We work in IT.”

75

dormir “to sleep”

Elle dort sur le canapé. “She’s sleeping on the couch.”

76

marcher “to walk”

Ils marchent très rapidement. “They walk really fast.”

77

essayer “to try,” “to attempt”

J’essaye une nouvelle technique. “I’m trying a new technique.”

78

empêcher “to prevent,” “to stop”

Ca ne t’empêche pas d’essayer. “It doesn’t stop you from trying.”

79

reprendre “to resume,” “to take back”

Il reprend sa partie. “He’s resuming his game.”

80

cuisiner “to cook”

Vous cuisinez du cassoulet. “You’re cooking cassoulet.”

81

appartenir “to belong”

Cette maison appartient à ma famille. “This house belongs to my family.”

82

risquer “to risk”

Il risque sa vie tous les jours. “He’s risking his life everyday.”

83

apprendre “to learn,” “to teach”

Vous apprenez le Français sur FrenchPod101. “You’re learning French on FrenchPod101.”

84

rencontrer “to meet”

On s’est rencontrés sur Internet. “We met on the Internet.”

85

créer “to create”

Les écrivains créent des mondes imaginaires. “Writers create imaginary worlds.”

86

obtenir “to obtain,” “to get”

Il a obtenu son diplôme. “He got his degree.”

87

entrer “to enter”

Elle entre par la porte de derrière. “She’s entering through the back door.”

88

sortir “to exit,” “to go out,” “to leave”

Tu sors, ce soir ? “Are you going out tonight?”

89

proposer “to offer,” “to suggest”

Nous vous offrons un poste. “We offer you a position.”

90

apporter “to bring”

J’ai apporté du saucisson. “I’ve brought saucisson.”

91

utiliser “to use”

On utilise des engrais naturels. “We use natural fertilizers.”

92

atteindre “to reach,” “to achieve”

Ça a atteint de nouveaux sommets. “It has reached new heights.”

93

préparer “to prepare,” “to make”

Je prépare le déjeuner. “I’m making lunch.”

94

ajouter “to add”

Ajoutons un peu de sel. “Let’s add a bit of salt.”

95

voyager “to travel”

Je voyage en Europe. “I travel in Europe.”

96

payer “to pay”

Avez-vous payé l’addition ? “Did you pay the check?”

97

vendre “to sell,” “to distribute”

Je vends mon appareil photo. “I’m selling my camera.”

98

acheter “to buy”

Tu achètes un ordinateur. “You buy a computer.”

99

pousser “to push”

Nous devons pousser la voiture. “We have to push the car.”

100

tirer “to pull,” “to shoot”

Il faut tirer très fort. “You have to pull real hard.”

→ Learn more about the pronunciation of French verbs with our free vocabulary lists on the most commonly used verbs in any language and the 50 most common French verbs.

Il pousse le canapé. (“He’s pushing the couch.”)

3. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French

In this French verbs guide, you’ve learned everything about French verbs, from conjugation to auxiliary, groups, and irregular French verbs. And of course, you now have a wide selection of the most useful French verbs, with examples to get you familiar with them.

Did I forget any important verb that you know? Do you feel ready to put them to work in your daily conversations with French speakers?

FrenchPod101 also has tons of vocabulary lists with audio recordings and free resources to boost your studies and keep your French learning fresh and entertaining!

Remember that you can also use our premium service,  MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. Your private teacher can help you practice with verbs and conjugation using assignments, personalized exercises, and recorded audio samples for you. They can also review yours to help improve your pronunciation. Happy learning on FrenchPod101!