The present tense for –er verbs
The present tense is used for actions you do or are doing.
The majority of regular verbs are of this type, with their infinitive ending in -er. Some examples include regarder (to watch, to look at), trouver (to find), manger (to eat) and porter (to wear, to carry)
Regular –er verbs take the following endings:
Jouer To play
Je joue* I play / I am playing
Tu
joues* You play / you are playing (familiar)
Il joue* He plays / he is playing
Elle joue* She plays / she is playing
On joue* We play, “one” plays / we are playing, “one” is playing
Nous jouons We play / we are playing
Vous
jouez You play / you are playing (polite and / or plural)
Ils jouent* They play / they are playing (masculine / mixed)
Elles
jouent* They play / they are playing (feminine)
Variations
There are minor variations to the spelling of the following –er verbs to indicate easier pronunciation:
Manger = To eat
Commencer = To start
Acheter = To buy
Je mange
Je
commence
J’achète
Tu manges
Tu commences
Tu achètes
Il mange
Il commence
Il achète
Nous mangeons Nous commençons Nous achetons
Vous mangez Vous commencez Vous achetez
Ils mangent Ils commencent Ils achètent
Other verbs like acheter : se lever (to get up), se promener (to go for a walk)
An irregular –er verb
Aller = To go
Je vais
Tu vas
Il va
Nous
allons
Vous
allez
Ils
vont