French IR Group of Verbs
IR – Verbs
French IR group of verbs are the second group of verbs. Like ‘ER’ verbs to conjugate an ‘IR’ verb in the present tense, we need to remove the infinitive ‘IR’ ending and then add the appropriate termination to the stem. However, all ‘IR’ verbs do not follow the same pattern.
Most students find irregular verbs challenging, but there is some good news: irregular verb conjugations also follow certain patterns. There are about 50 irregular French verbs ending in -ir, but they all follow similar patterns. In general, there are at least three different conjugation patterns for French IR group of verbs.
- Regular ‘-IR’ Verbs
The first pattern in which most of ‘IR’ verbs are grouped is also called regular ‘IR’ verbs. Here are the present tense conjugations for the regular -IR verbs.
Finir is the infinitive form of the verb, which is similar to « to finish » in English.
fin – is the stem or radical
ir-is the infinitive ending
The first group of –ir verbs also called regular –ir verbs because they all conjugate following the same pattern.
Je finis
Tu finis
Il/Elle finit
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils/Elles finissent
Some more regular ‘ir’ verbs:
| Subject | Choisir-to choose | Grossir-to grow big/fat | Obéir-to obey | Remplir-to fill | Punir-to punish |
| Je | choisis | grossis | obéis | remplis | punis |
| Tu | choisis | grossis | obéis | remplis | punis |
| Il/Elle | choisit | grossit | obéit | remplit | punit |
| Nous | choisissons | grossissons | obéissons | remplissons | punissons |
| Vous | choisissez | grossissez | obéissez | remplissez | punissez |
| Ils/Elles | choisissent | grossissent | obéissent | remplissent | punissent |
Here are just a few of the most common regular -IR verbs:
- abolir> to abolish
- établir>to establish
- étourdir>to stun, deafen, make dizzy
- finir > to finish
- grossir> to gain weight, get fat,
- guérir> to cure, heal, recover
- maigrir> to lose weight, get thin
- agir>to act
- avertir> to warn
- bâtir> to build
- bénir> to bless
- choisir> to choose
- établir > to establish
- nourrir> to feed, to nourish
- obéir> to obey
- punir> to punish
- réfléchir> to reflect, think
- remplir > to fill
- réussir> to succeed
- rougir>to blush, turn red
- vieillir>to grow old
Mona Lisa Art’s Timeless Muse
The Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda in Italian or La Joconde in French, is perhaps the most famous portrait in the world. Painted by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, this enigmatic masterpiece has captivated art enthusiasts, scholars, and the general public for centuries.
The Mona Lisa is celebrated for several reasons. First and foremost is the subject’s mysterious smile, which seems to change and follow the viewer as they gaze upon the painting. Is she smiling, or is she simply composed in a tranquil manner? This ambiguity adds an element of intrigue to the artwork.
Leonardo’s exquisite attention to detail is another hallmark of the painting. From the delicate sfumato technique used to create soft transitions between light and shadow on her face to the intricately textured background landscape, every aspect of the Mona Lisa demonstrates Leonardo’s extraordinary skill as an artist.
The subject of the painting is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo, though this attribution is not without debate. Regardless of her true identity, the Mona Lisa remains a symbol of beauty and grace, representing the ideals of the Renaissance period.
Today, the Mona Lisa resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Millions of visitors from around the world make pilgrimages to the museum each year to catch a glimpse of this iconic work of art, ensuring that the Mona Lisa’s mystique will endure for generations to come.
- Verbs Conjugated Like ‘PARTIR’
The first set of irregular verbs ending in -ir are conjugated similarly to the verb partir (“to leave”). Regular -ir verb conjugations maintain the stem throughout; irregular -ir verb conjugations, as previously mentioned, do not. In order to conjugate these verbs in the present tense, one must first remove the final letter of the stem from the singular forms before adding the endings.
The present tense conjugation of the verb partir (“to leave”) and the verb dormir (“to sleep”) are shown below. The stem of partir is part-, whereas the stem dormir is dorm-,
| Endings | partir-to leave part- | dormir- to sleep dorm- | |
| je | -s | pars | dors |
| tu | -s | pars | dors |
| il/elle/on | -t | part | dort |
| nous | -ons | partons | dormons |
| vous | -ez | partez | dormez |
| ils/elles | -ent | partent | dorment |
This group also includes the following verbs, plus their derivatives:
- départir > to accord
- dormir > to sleep
- endormir > to put/send to sleep
- mentir > to lie
- pressentir > to have a premonition
- redormir > to sleep some more
- rendormir > to put back to sleep
- repartir > to restart, set off again
- se repentir > to repent
- ressentir > to feel, sense
- sentir > to feel, smell
- consentir >to consent
- servir > to serve, to be useful
- sortir > to leave /to go out
- Verbs ending in ‘-LLIR,’ ‘-FRIR,’ and ‘-VRIR’
The second group of irregular ‘IR’ verbs consists of verbs that end in -llir, -frir, or -vrir; almost all are conjugated like regular -er verbs.
| Endings | couvrir-to cover couvr- | |
| je | -e | couvre |
| tu | -es | couvres |
| il/elle/on | -e | couvre |
| nous | -ons | couvrons |
| vous | -ez | couvrez |
| ils/elles | -ent | couvrent |
This group includes the following verbs, plus their derivatives:
- couvrir > to cover
- cueillir > to pick
- découvrir > to discover
- entrouvrir > to half-open
- offrir > to offer
- ouvrir > to open
- recueillir > to collect
- recouvrir > to recover, conceal
- rouvrir > to reopen
- souffrir > to suffer
- Completely Irregular ‘IR’ Verbs:
This final set of ‘IR’ verbs includes some important verbs that do not follow any specific pattern and are best to be memorized.
| Subject | avoir-to have | pouvoir- to be able/can | Vouloir – to want | Courir-to run | Savoir-to know | Venir-to come |
| Je | ‘ai | peux | veux | cours | sais | viens |
| Tu | as | peux | veux | cours | sais | viens |
| Il/Elle/On | a | peut | veut | court | sait | vient |
| Nous | avons | pouvons | voulons | courons | savons | venons |
| Vous | avez | pouvez | voulez | courez | savez | venez |
| Ils/Elles | ont | peuvent | veulent | courent | savent | viennent |
When you learn a new verb and want to see the conjugation pattern just head to Reverso Conjugator and type the verb to see its conjugations in all tenses.
