--- title: "French conjugation: 64 common verbs in every tense" description: "Conjugation tables for the 64 most used French verbs, from être and avoir to choisir and mourir, in every tense, with examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips." canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation --- Grammar reference # French conjugation tables The 64 French verbs you will meet most often, each conjugated in the présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel, subjonctif, impératif and passé simple, with examples and notes for TCF and TEF Canada candidates. [Take the free level test](/tools/french-level-test)[See the TCF Canada course](/tcf-canada-course) - Every tense on one page - Tables generated from an open French lexicon - Notes for TCF and TEF candidates ![Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep](/_next/image?url=%2Fadele.png&w=3840&q=75) Adèle SasonNative French teacher - every class, every correction In short Pick a verb below to see it in every tense. The first group (-er verbs like parler) is almost entirely regular, the second group (-ir verbs like finir) adds -iss- in the plural, and the third group holds the irregular verbs, which include the most frequent ones: être, avoir, aller and faire. ## Irregular verbs (third group) - [êtreto be](/french-conjugation/etre) - [avoirto have](/french-conjugation/avoir) - [allerto go](/french-conjugation/aller) - [faireto do, to make](/french-conjugation/faire) - [direto say, to tell](/french-conjugation/dire) - [pouvoircan, to be able to](/french-conjugation/pouvoir) - [vouloirto want](/french-conjugation/vouloir) - [devoirmust, to have to](/french-conjugation/devoir) - [savoirto know (a fact), to know how](/french-conjugation/savoir) - [venirto come](/french-conjugation/venir) - [voirto see](/french-conjugation/voir) - [prendreto take](/french-conjugation/prendre) - [mettreto put, to put on](/french-conjugation/mettre) - [croireto believe, to think](/french-conjugation/croire) - [falloirto be necessary (il faut)](/french-conjugation/falloir) - [tenirto hold, to keep](/french-conjugation/tenir) - [connaîtreto know (a person, a place)](/french-conjugation/connaitre) - [attendreto wait (for)](/french-conjugation/attendre) - [vivreto live](/french-conjugation/vivre) - [sortirto go out, to take out](/french-conjugation/sortir) - [partirto leave](/french-conjugation/partir) - [comprendreto understand](/french-conjugation/comprendre) - [apprendreto learn, to teach](/french-conjugation/apprendre) - [devenirto become](/french-conjugation/devenir) - [revenirto come back](/french-conjugation/revenir) - [écrireto write](/french-conjugation/ecrire) - [lireto read](/french-conjugation/lire) - [vendreto sell](/french-conjugation/vendre) - [boireto drink](/french-conjugation/boire) - [mourirto die](/french-conjugation/mourir) - [naîtreto be born](/french-conjugation/naitre) - [ouvrirto open](/french-conjugation/ouvrir) - [recevoirto receive](/french-conjugation/recevoir) - [suivreto follow, to take (a course)](/french-conjugation/suivre) - [courirto run](/french-conjugation/courir) - [dormirto sleep](/french-conjugation/dormir) - [conduireto drive](/french-conjugation/conduire) - [entendreto hear](/french-conjugation/entendre) - [répondreto answer, to reply](/french-conjugation/repondre) - [perdreto lose](/french-conjugation/perdre) - [sentirto feel, to smell](/french-conjugation/sentir) ## \-er verbs (first group) - [donnerto give](/french-conjugation/donner) - [parlerto speak, to talk](/french-conjugation/parler) - [aimerto like, to love](/french-conjugation/aimer) - [passerto pass, to spend (time), to take (an exam)](/french-conjugation/passer) - [trouverto find](/french-conjugation/trouver) - [penserto think](/french-conjugation/penser) - [resterto stay, to remain](/french-conjugation/rester) - [appelerto call](/french-conjugation/appeler) - [commencerto begin, to start](/french-conjugation/commencer) - [mangerto eat](/french-conjugation/manger) - [envoyerto send](/french-conjugation/envoyer) - [laisserto leave, to let](/french-conjugation/laisser) - [acheterto buy](/french-conjugation/acheter) - [préférerto prefer](/french-conjugation/preferer) - [travaillerto work](/french-conjugation/travailler) - [arriverto arrive, to happen](/french-conjugation/arriver) - [tomberto fall](/french-conjugation/tomber) - [jeterto throw, to throw away](/french-conjugation/jeter) - [entrerto enter, to come in](/french-conjugation/entrer) - [jouerto play](/french-conjugation/jouer) ## \-ir verbs like finir (second group) - [finirto finish](/french-conjugation/finir) - [choisirto choose](/french-conjugation/choisir) - [réussirto succeed, to pass (an exam)](/french-conjugation/reussir) Which tenses matter ## The tenses that move a TCF or TEF score You do not need every tense equally. The présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel and subjonctif carry almost all of the writing and speaking tasks; the passé simple is one you will read in narratives but rarely need to write. The guide to [the French verb tenses you need for the TCF/TEF Canada](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef) explains where the marks move. Two choices cost candidates the most: [passé composé or imparfait](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait) in a story, and [when the subjonctif is required](/blog/le-subjonctif) in an opinion. ## From conjugation tables to an exam score Conjugation tables are the easy part. The TCF and TEF Canada mark whether you use the right tense, under time pressure, in your own sentences. - Check your level The [free French level test](/tools/french-level-test) tells you where you stand before you plan your preparation. - Prepare the exam The [TCF Canada course](/tcf-canada-course) works on grammar inside real writing and speaking tasks, with marked feedback. - Talk to a teacher [Book a free 15-minute call](/book) with Adèle to find out what to work on first. Conjugation tables are generated from the Lefff (Lexique des formes fléchies du français, Benoît Sagot, Inria), packaged as french-verbs-lefff@3.4.0 and distributed under the [LGPL-LR licence](https://www.labri.fr/perso/clement/lefff/licence-LGPLLR.html). Compound forms are built from its auxiliary and participle forms. Next step ## Preparing for the TCF or TEF Canada? Tell Adèle your exam date and where your French is today. She will tell you honestly what to work on first. [Book a free call](/book)[See the course](/tcf-canada-course) --- For agents: site index https://francaisprep.com/llms.txt, developer access https://francaisprep.com/developers, and TCF or TEF to NCLC conversion over a plain GET at https://api.francaisprep.com/v1/score/convert?exam=tcf_canada&listening=512&reading=470&writing=12&speaking=11 (exam is tcf_canada or tef_canada).