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Common French verb conjugations to learn first visualisation

Common French verb conjugations to learn first

Master French Grammar: A Beginner's Roadmap to Success: Common French verb conjugations to learn first
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The common French verb conjugations to learn first include the present, passé composé (present perfect), imparfait (imperfect), and futur simple (future) tenses. The most important verbs to start with are:

  • Être (to be)
  • Avoir (to have)
  • Aller (to go)
  • Faire (to do)
  • Prendre (to take)
  • Vouloir (to want)
  • Savoir (to know)
  • Pouvoir (to be able to/can)
  • Dire (to say/tell)
  • Donner (to give)

These verbs are essential as they are used frequently and are often irregular, so mastering their conjugation patterns in these key tenses will greatly help with French fluency. 2, 3, 4

Also, French verbs fall into three main groups based on their infinitive endings:

  • -ER verbs (most common, e.g., parler, donner)
  • -IR verbs (e.g., finir, choisir)
  • -RE verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre)

Learning the regular conjugation patterns for these groups alongside the irregular common verbs is a good approach. 6

  • Present tense (le présent)
  • Passé composé (compound past)
  • Imparfait (imperfect past)
  • Futur simple (simple future)

Starting with these will give learners a solid foundation for everyday conversation. 1, 2

If desired, I can provide sample conjugation tables for these core verbs in the key tenses. Would that be helpful?

References

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