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Introduction

First group verbs in French are verbs whose infinitive ends in -er (except the verb "aller"). These are the most numerous and regular verbs in French.

Conjugation in the Present Indicative

To conjugate a first group verb, remove the -er ending from the infinitive to get the stem, then add the appropriate endings.

Examples of First Group Verbs

• Aimer (to like/love): J'aime, tu aimes, il/elle aime, nous aimons, vous aimez, ils/elles aiment
• Chanter (to sing): Je chante, tu chantes, il/elle chante, nous chantons, vous chantez, ils/elles chantent
• Danser (to dance): Je danse, tu danses, il/elle danse, nous dansons, vous dansez, ils/elles dansent

Special Cases

Some first group verbs have spelling particularities:

• Verbs ending in -ger add an "e" after the "g" before "a" and "o" to keep the soft "g" sound (e.g., manger → nous mangeons)
• Verbs ending in -cer add a cedilla under the "c" before "a" and "o" to keep the "s" sound (e.g., commencer → nous commençons)
• Verbs ending in -yer change "y" to "i" before a silent "e" (e.g., nettoyer → je nettoie, tu nettoies, il/elle nettoie)

Interactive Exercise