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Bonjour! Today we will learn how to talk about actions happening right now using French verbs that end in -er.
Most French verbs end in -er. To use them in the present tense, we must first find the word's stem.
To find the stem, drop the -er ending from the verb. For example, the verb 'parler' (to speak) becomes 'parl-'.
Next, add a new ending to the stem. The ending you choose depends on who is doing the action.
Compare these cases: 'Je' (I) takes '-e', 'Tu' (you) takes '-es', and 'Ils' (they) takes '-ent'. The stem stays the same.
✏️ Worked example
Change the French verb 'jouer' (to play) to match the subject pronoun 'nous' (we) in the present tense.
- Identify the starting verb, which is 'jouer'.
- Remove the '-er' ending to find the stem. This leaves you with 'jou-'.
- Look up the matching ending for 'nous'. The present tense ending for 'nous' is '-ons'.
- Attach the ending '-ons' to your stem 'jou-'.
- Combine them to get the final correct form: 'nous jouons' (we play).
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