Learn and memorize French irregular Verbs Easily and Efficiently with This Method!

French verbs are known for their complexities, and irregular verbs stand out as the trickiest among them. Unlike regular verbs that follow predictable patterns, irregular verbs have unique conjugation forms that need to be memorized individually. 

HOWEVER! I got good news! Did you know there was a way to memorize French irregular verbs efficiently and without thousands and thousands of tables? 

In this blog post, I’ll show you the method I have been teaching to thousands of students for four years. I’ll break down some of the most important irregular verbs in French and break down their conjugating patterns, so you can confidently navigate these linguistic hurdles.

This is a short explanation of my ebook where I explain everything you need to know about French verbs which includes: 

✅ The list of verbs you ACTUALLY need to remember

What verbs conjugate similarly

✅ “BUILT-IN-TENSES” 📚: My own technique on how I LEARNED French verbs as an immigrant in French school broken down

✅ Only the conjugations you need and TIPS to 🧠 REMEMBER THEM FAST

Fill-in-the-blank Exercises ✏️ to practise

Verb drills to never forget

Writing 📓 prompts to put it all together

Answer keys 🔑 for everything


Struggling with French verbs? ALL VERBS YOU NEED IN ONE PLACE HERE, NO BS

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    The French Irregular Verbs YOU NEED TO KNOW

      1. The 3 Auxiliaries

    Avoir, être, and aller are most likely the first verbs you will ever learn in French, and there is a reason. Many conjugations and sentence structures are constructed with these three verbs so you need them before anything else. 

    GOOD NEWS. ONCE YOU KNOW THIS, 50% OF THE JOB IS DONE. YOU CAN CREATE SO MANY SENTENCES WITH THESE CONJUGAISONS.

    Avoir (to have): “Avoir” is one of the most frequently used irregular verbs in French, and it serves as the auxiliary verb for the compound tenses. Here’s how it’s conjugated in the present tense.

    J’ai I have
    Tu as You have
    Il / elle / on a He / She has
    Nous avons We have
    Vous avez You have (plural and formal)
    Ils / Elles ont They have

    Être (to be): “Être” is another essential irregular verb in French and is used to express states of being or in compound tenses. Here’s its present tense conjugation:

    Je suis I am
    Tu es You are
    Il / elle / on est He / She is
    Nous sommes We are
    Vous êtes You are  (plural and formal)
    Ils / Elles sont They are

    Aller (to go): When talking about movement or actions, “Aller” is your go-to irregular verb. Observe its present tense forms:

    Je vais I go
    Tu vas You go
    Il / elle / on va He / She goes
    Nous allons We go
    Vous allez You go  (plural and formal)
    Ils / Elles vont They go

    Other Essential Irregular Verbs

    Faire: to do Pouvoir / vouloir: can/to want Venir / tenir: to come / to hold Dire: to say
    Je fais Je peux / veux Je viens / tiens Je dis
    Tu fais Tu peux / veux Tu viens / tiens Tu dis
    Il fait Il peut / veut Il vient / tient Il dit
    Nous faisons Nous pouvons / voulons Nous venons / tenons Nous disons
    Vous faites Vous pouvez/ voulez Vous venez / tenez Vous dites
    Ils font Ils peuvent / veulent Ils viennent / tiennent Ils disent

    My Secret Method: “The Built-in” Verbs

    Most French verbs are actually formed by a prefix following another verb. Rather than learning each verb individually, you just have to learn those base verbs that form others. If you know these verbs you know hundreds of other verbs without even realising. 

    PRENDRETO TAKE METTRETO PUT VENIR – TO COMETENIR – TO HOLD CROIRE TO BELIEVE
    apprendre – to learn
    comprendre – to understand
    entreprendre – to undertake
    méprendre – to mistake
    Reprendre – to retake, to take again
    surprendre – to surprise
    admettre – to admit
    commettre – to commit
    compromettre – to compromise
    permettre – to permit
    promettre – to promise
    remettre – to turn in work, to postpone
    soumettre – to submit
    transmettre – to transmit
    abstenir – to refrain, to abstain from 
    advenir – to happen 
    appartenir – to belong 
    contenir – to contain 
    convenir – to suit, to be suitable
    détenir – to detain
    devenir – to become 
    entretenir – to look after, to support
    intrevenir – to intervene
    maintenir – to maintain
    obtenir – to obtain
    parvenir – to reach, to achieve
    prévenir – to warn
    retenir – to retain
    soutenir – to support
    souvenir – to remember
    subvenir – to provide for
    survenir – to occur, to take place
    boire – to drinkdevoir – must, shouldvoir – to see

    Let’s take prendre as an example. 

    Je prends l’avion. 
    I take the airplane. 

    If you want to form a sentence with apprendre (to learn),  you just need the exact same conjugation and add the prefix “ap” in front. 

    J’apprends le français.
    I’m learning French. 

    Go Deeper

    Of course, there is so much more to French verbs, regular and irregular. In my ebook “No BS French Verbs” I cover EVERYTHING you need to master French verbs and include many exercise drills and writing prompts so you put all your new knowledge into practice. That’s all!


    Struggling with French verbs? ALL VERBS YOU NEED IN ONE PLACE HERE, NO BS

      We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.

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      Reflective Verbs in French
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      While irregular verbs in French may seem daunting at first, with practice and dedication, you can confidently master their conjugating patterns. Remember that regular exposure to these verbs through reading, writing, and conversation is crucial for retaining their forms. Understanding these essential irregular verbs, like “avoir,” “être,” “aller,” “faire,” and “prendre,” will significantly boost your fluency and understanding of the French language. So, embrace the challenge, and soon enough, you’ll find yourself conjugating these irregular verbs with ease, paving the way to becoming a proficient French speaker! Bonne chance! (Good luck!)

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