Regular -ir verbs in the present tense
Key points
- Another group of verbs in French end in -ir.
- To form the present tense of -ir verbs, take off the -ir and add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
In the last unit we looked at conjugating verbs which end in –er. These are called regular verbs because so many verbs follow this pattern.
There is also a smaller group of regular verbs which end in -ir. The verb finir (which means to finish) is an –ir verb and in the present tense it conjugates like this:
| finir to finish | ||
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | |
| tu | finis | |
| il / elle | finit | |
| nous | finissons | |
| vous | finissez | |
| ils / elles | finissent | |
Note
Not all verbs ending –ir are regular verbs. For example partir, which means to leave, is an irregular verb: I leave is je pars in French, not je partis.
As with –er verbs, the ending –s and –ent are never pronounced. Here are some examples of sentences containing -ir verbs:
Elle choisit la robe blanche
She chooses the white dress
Il finit le travail à cinq heures trente
He finishes work at five-thirty
Elles réussissent toujours leurs examens
They always pass their exams