Third Group of Verbs – French ‘re’ Verbs
In French, verbs that end in “-re” are part of the third group of verbs. The conjugation of regular “-re” verbs follows a particular pattern. Here’s a general overview of how these verbs are conjugated in the present tenses.
1. Regular ‘-re’ verbs
To conjugate regular “-re” verbs in the present tense, here’s the basic rule:
- Remove the “-re” ending from the infinitive form of the verb to get the stem. For example, with “vendre,” the stem is “vend-.”
- Add the appropriate endings to the stem according to the subject pronoun which are (s, s, _, ons, ez, ent)
Let’s take the verb “vendre” (to sell) as an example:
Present tense conjugation of “vendre” (to sell):
- Je vends (I sell)
- Tu vends (You sell, singular informal)
- Il/Elle/On vend (He/She/One sells)
- Nous vendons (We sell)
- Vous vendez (You sell, plural/formal)
- Ils/Elles vendent (They sell)
Remember, there might be irregular “-re” verbs that do not follow this pattern entirely and might have some alterations in their conjugation.
For instance, “prendre” (to take) is another common “-re” verb:
Present tense conjugation of “prendre” (to take):
- Je prends (I take)
- Tu prends (You take, singular informal)
- Il/Elle/On prend (He/She/One takes)
- Nous prenons (We take)
- Vous prenez (You take, plural/formal)
- Ils/Elles prennent (They take)
Most ‘re’ verbs ending with a ‘-dre’ conjugate as regular ‘re’ verbs although there are exceptions as we saw with ‘Prendre’
2. Verbs ending in -uire, –dire, –fire and –lire
Verbs ending in -uire, –dire, –fire and –lire
All verbs that end in -uire, –dire, –fire and –lire are conjugated in the same way in present tense by dropping -re and adding the endings (s, s, t, sons, sez, sent).
| Subject | lire-to read | conduire- to drive | confire- to pickle | interdire- to forbid |
| Je | lis | conduis | confis | interdis |
| Tu | lis | conduis | confis | interdis |
| Il/Elle | lit | conduit | confit | interdit |
| Nous | lisons | conduisons | confisons | interdisons |
| Vous | lisez | conduisez | confisez | interdisez |
| Ils/Elles | lisent | conduisent | confisent | interdisent |
Some common verbs that end with -uire, –dire, –fire and –lire:
| Verb | Meaning | Verb | Meaning |
| conduire | to drive | frire | to fry |
| confire | to preserve, pickle, candy | induire | to mislead |
| construire | to build | instruire | to instruct |
| cuire | to cook | interdire | to forbid |
| lire | to read | introduire | to introduce, insert |
| déduire | to deduce, deduct | luire | to shine |
| détruire | to destroy | nuire | to harm |
| dire* | to say, tell | prédire | to predict |
| redire* | to repeat, say again | prédire | to predict |
| élire | to elect | produire | to produce |
| reconstruire | to rebuild | reconduire | to renew |
| réduire | to reduce | reproduire | to reproduce |
| reluire | to shine | séduire | to seduce |
| traduire | to translate | suffire | to suffice |
* The present tense second person(Vous) plural forms of ‘dire’ and ‘redire’ are ‘vous dites’ and ‘vous redites’. All remaining conjugations adhere to the same structure as described above.
3. Verbs ending in -crire like inscrire
Verbs ending in -crire are conjugated in the present tense by removing the -re ending and adding ‘v’ to form their plural versions. These verbs follow the same endings as previously described for -uire, –dire, –fire and –lire forms except that here we add a ‘v’ in plurals instead of an ‘s’.
Inscrire- to register/to write down/to enroll
- J’inscris
- tu inscris
- il/elle inscrit
- nous inscrivons
- vous inscrivez
- ils/elles inscrivent
Other verbs following this patterns:
décrire – to describe
écrire – to write
prescrire – to prescribe
proscrire – to prohibit, ban
4. Verbs like éteindre/craindre/disjoindre
Verbs ending in -aindre, -eindre, and -oindre are conjugated in the present tense by omitting the ‘d’ in all forms and inserting ‘g’ before ‘n’ in the plural forms. The rest of the endings follow the same pattern as previously mentioned.
Éteindre – to extinguish/to put off/to turn of
- j’etiens
- tu éteins
- il/elle éteint
- nous éteignons
- vous éteignez
- ils/elles éteignent
French Education System
Photo by Robin Ooode on Unsplash
In the French education system, students typically enter different levels at the following ages:
- Preschool (écoles maternelles) – ages three to six
- Primary Education (École Primaire):
- Starts at around age 6 and lasts for five years.
- This includes three cycles: CP (6-7 years old), CE1 and CE2 (7-9 years old), and CM1 and CM2 (9-11 years old).
- Secondary Education (Collège):
- Begins around age 11 after completing primary education.
- Collège spans four years: Sixième (11-12 years old), Cinquième (12-13 years old), Quatrième (13-14 years old), and Troisième (14-15 years old).
- After completing their Collège and passing their exams students will earn a Brevet.
- Lycée:
- Students typically start lycée at around age 15, having completed collège.
- Lycée consists of three years: Seconde (15-16 years old), Première (16-17 years old), and Terminale (17-18 years old).
- Students follow various specialized streams leading to the French Baccalauréat (Bac) diploma.
- The Baccalauréat (Bac) is a national examination taken by students at the end of lycée. It’s an important credential for admission to higher education institutions.
Higher Education:
- France has a strong higher education system with numerous universities and grandes écoles offering a wide range of courses and degrees.
- Higher education includes universities like IUT(Instituts Universitaires de Technologie), Grandes Écoles, specialized schools, and more.
| Education Level | Age Range |
| Primary Education – École Élémentaire | 6 – 11 years old |
| – CP (Cours Préparatoire) | 6 – 7 years old |
| – CE1 and CE2 (Cours Élémentaire) | 7 – 9 years old |
| – CM1 and CM2 (Cours Moyen) | 9 – 11 years old |
| Secondary Education – Collège | 11 – 15 years old |
| – Sixième | 11 – 12 years old |
| – Cinquième | 12 – 13 years old |
| – Quatrième | 13 – 14 years old |
| – Troisième | 14 – 15 years old |
| High School – Lycée | 15 – 18 years old |
| – Seconde | 15 – 16 years old |
| – Première | 16 – 17 years old |
| – Terminale | 17 – 18 years old |
Notice that the French education system counts in reverse. Secondary education starts at Sixième which is 6th and reduces as you move to higher classes until you reach premier(First) and then Terminal(Last).
In France, schools are often named after various individuals, historical figures, geographical locations, or notable concepts. These names not only honor the legacy or significance of the person or concept they represent but also reflect the values and aspirations of the educational institution.
