Are you ready to widen your French vocabulary with the most common French verbs? Check out this list of 200 common French verbs with their corresponding English translation.
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Before we proceed to the long list of 200 most common French verbs, let's take a look one-by-one at ten of the most useful French verbs and see them with their present tense conjugation. Let's start!
1. Être (to be)
On the top of the heap of most common French verbs is the most useful one of them all. Though this verb is highly irregular, you need to commit this to memory since you’ll find this one used repeatedly in everyday speech, either alone or as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses.
Here is the conjugation of etre.
For more, visit: The French Verb Être: All You Need To Know
Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with Talk in French Complete Courses
2. Avoir (to have)
The second most useful French verb avoir, is also an irregular verb. It is also used by itself or with another verb to form a compound tense.
Here is avoir in the present tense.
j'ai
tu as
il a
elle a
on a
nous avons
vous avez
ils ont
elles ont
3. Faire (to do)
The third one on our list is another irregular verb. Faire is also a highly useful French verb which means “to do”. It also translates to “to make” in some cases.
Now let’s take a look at the conjugation of faire.
See also: All About The French verb Faire
4. Aller (to go)
The fourth French verb on our list is, unfortunately, another irregular verb. I know, I know. Don’t worry, it gets better when you memorize this verb fully. Aller also works as a standalone verb or as an auxiliary to form compound verbs for future tenses.
Here’s the conjugation of aller.
See also: All About the French Verb Aller
5. Dire (to say)
Okay, now we’re on to the fifth most frequently used French verb on our list, and guess what? Yes, it’s another irregular verb (will this torture ever end?--yes it does). Dire means “to tell” or “to say” and I must say, you’ll see and hear this quite often!
See also: All About the French Verb Dire
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6. Voir (to see)
Another most frequently used French verb is “voir” which means, to see. Aside from its literal use though, voir can also be used figuratively as in “to understand” or “to experience”. It all depends on the context and usage.
See also: All About the Verb Voir
7. Savoir (to know)
Savoir which means “to know” can be quite a difficult verb to know. (Get it? Okay.) Aside from the fact that it is yet again another irregular verb, savoir has a close sibling connaître which also means “to know” and the differences can be quite complex! But that’s a topic for another day.
Here’s the present tense conjugation of savoir:
je sais
tu sais
il sait
elle sait
on sait
nous savons
vous savez
ils savent
elles savent
8. Venir (to come)
Venir is once again an irregular French verb and it means “to come”. Here is its conjugation in the present tense.
je viens
tu viens
il vient
elle vient
on vient
nous venons
vous venez
ils viennent
elles viennent
9. Vouloir (to want)
Another very important French verb is vouloir. It means “to want”. Here’s how to conjugate it in the present tense.
je veux
tu veux
il veut
elle veut
on veut
nous voulons
vous voulez
ils veulent
elles veulent
10. Pouvoir (to be able to / can)
Finally on our list of the most useful verbs is pouvoir which is equivalent to can or to be able to in English.
je peux
tu peux
il peut
elle peut
on peut
nous pouvons
vous pouvez
ils peuvent
elles peuvent
200 Most Common French Verbs
| être | to be; being |
| avoir | to have |
| aller | to go |
| faire | to do, make |
| dire | to say, tell |
| pouvoir | can, to be able to |
| vouloir | to want |
| savoir | to know |
| voir | to see |
| devoir | to have to, must; duty, test |
| venir | to come, occur |
| suivre | to follow |
| parler | to speak, talk |
| prendre | to take, get |
| croire | to believe, think |
| aimer | to love, like, be fond of |
| falloir | it is necessary, must, have to |
| passer | to pass, go by, cross |
| penser | to think |
| attendre | to wait for, expect |
| trouver | to find |
| laisser | to leave |
| arriver | to arrive |
| donner | to give, give away |
| regarder | to look at, watch |
| appeler | to call, ring |
| partir | to go, leave, go away |
| mettre | to put, put on, wear |
| rester | to stay, remain |
| arrêter | to stop |
| connaître | to know, experience |
| demander | to ask, ask for, be looking for |
| comprendre | to understand |
| sortir | to go out; take out |
| entendre | to hear, listen to, understand |
| chercher | to look for, seek |
| aider | to help, aid |
| essayer | to try, try out, test |
| revenir | to come back, return |
| jouer | to play |
| finir | to finish, end |
| perdre | to lose, miss |
| sentir | to smell, sniff, feel |
| rentrer | to bring in, take in; to get in, go in, come home |
| vivre | to live, be alive, go through |
| rendre | to return, give back, repay |
| tenir | to hold, run, keep, last |
| oublier | to forget, miss |
| travailler | to work, work on, practice |
| manger | to eat |
| entrer | to go in, enter, come in |
| devenir | to become |
| commencer | to start, begin |
| payer | to pay |
| tirer | to pull, draw |
| ouvrir | to open |
| changer | to change, exchange |
| excuser | to forgive, pardon, excuse |
| dormir | to sleep; to lie idle |
| occuper | to occupy, live in, take up |
| marcher | to walk, march, go |
| envoyer | to send, throw, dispatch, refer |
| apprendre | to learn, to hear (about) |
| boire | to drink (consume alcohol), to soak up |
| garder | to keep, to look after, to guard |
| montrer | to show, point out |
| asseoir | to sit down, sit up |
| porter | to carry, wear |
| prier | to pray |
| servir | to serve |
| écrire | to write |
| retrouver | to find; to meet |
| gagner | to win, earn |
| acheter | to buy |
| rappeler | to remind, remember, call back, be reminiscent of |
| lire | to read |
| monter | to go up, rise, come up |
| quitter | to leave, depart |
| emmener | to take (somebody), take along |
| toucher | to touch |
| continuer | to continue, go on |
| Raconter | to tell |
| répondre | to answer, reply |
| sauver | to save |
| rencontrer | to meet, encounter |
| fermer | to close, shut |
| valoir | to hold, apply; to be worth |
| compter | to count |
| bouger | to move |
| apporter | to bring, supply |
| décider | to decide |
| vendre | to sell |
| expliquer | to explain, account for |
| agir | to act, behave; work, take effect |
| adorer | to adore, love |
| recevoir | to receive, to get |
| utiliser | to use |
| coucher | to put to bed, lay down, to sleep |
| préférer | to prefer |
| offrir | to offer, give |
| préparer | to prepare, make, get ready |
| choisir | to choose |
| conduire | to drive, lead |
| chanter | to sing |
| présenter | to introduce, present |
| accepter | to accept |
| refuser | to refuse, turn down |
| terminer | to end, finish |
| amuser | to amuse, entertain |
| intéresser | to interest |
| Rire | to laugh, have fun, joke |
| pardonner | to forgive, pardon, excuse |
| embrasser | to kiss; to embrace, encompass |
| danser | to dance |
| détester | to hate, detest |
| maintenir | to keep, maintain |
| supposer | to suppose, assume |
| épouser | to marry, to espouse |
| approcher | to approach |
| craindre | to fear, to be afraid of |
| crier | to shout |
| inviter | to invite |
| arranger | to arrange, to organize |
| remercier | to thank |
| répéter | to repeat; to go over, rehearse |
| signer | to sign |
| accompagner | to go with, accompany |
| oser | to dare |
| permettre | Allow |
| annuler | Cancel |
| laver | Clean |
| se plaindre | Complain |
| faire du mal | Hurt |
| avoir besoin | to have |
| épeler | to spell |
| traduire | Translate |
| éteindre | turn off |
| allumer | turn on |
| se réveiller | wake up |
| ajouter | to add |
| goûter | to taste |
| coûter | to cost |
| cuire | to cook |
| décrire | to describe |
| effacer | to erase |
| enseigner | to teach |
| nettoyer | to clean |
| noter | to write down |
| reconnaître | to recognize |
| remplacer | to replace |
| visiter | to visit |
| souhaiter | to wish |
| tomber | to fall |
| acclamer | to cheer, acclaim |
| accorder | to admit |
| accourir | to hurry |
| accrocher | to hang (up) |
| accueillir | to welcome |
| acquérir | to acquire |
| adjoindre | to appoint |
| admirer | to admire |
| annoncer | to announce |
| arracher | to pull up/out |
| augmenter | to increase |
| avoir raison | to be right |
| blaguer | to joke |
| causer | to chat, cause |
| cheminer | to walk on |
| confondre | to confuse |
| conseiller | to recommend |
| dépenser | to spend |
| emprunter | to borrow |
| endormir | to fall asleep |
| éviter | to avoid |
| féliciter | to congratulate |
| geindre | to groan |
| informer | to inform |
| nommer | to name |
| louer | to rent |
| ressentir | to feel |
| secouer | to shake |
| soutenir | to support |
| jurer | to swear, vow |
| méprendre | to mistake |
| mélanger | to mix |
| apprendre par coeur | to memorize |
| reconduire | to renew |
| rejeter | to reject |
| gérer | to manage |
| refléter | to reflect |
| presser | to squeeze |
| répandre | to spread |
| frapper | to knock |
| remettre | to put back (on) |
| revêtir | to put on |
| enregistrer | to record |
| pêcher | to fish |
| rougir | to redden |
| tousser | to cough |
| pleurer | to cry |
Conclusion
So there you have it, 200 of the most common French verbs. You can also check out the different French vocabulary lists such as:
129 Most Common French Adjectives
Be sure to start practicing these words with our Ultimate French Pronunciation Guide!
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Here are some FAQs about Most Common French Verbs
How to conjugate –ER verbs in French
–ER verbs are verbs that end with –er. To conjugate them you have to drop the –er at the end and add a different ending according to the person and tense.
In the present tense, you add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, and -ent to the remaining stem.
In the imperfect tense, you add -ais, -ais, –ait, -ions, -iez, and -aient to the remaining stem.
In the future tense, you add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, and -ont to the remaining stem.
In the perfect tense, you add present tense of avoir before the -er verb and the past participle form of the -er verb.
In the simple past tense, you add -s, -s,-t, -mes, -tes, and -rent to the remaining stem.
How to conjugate –RE verbs in French
Verbs that end in -re in French are conjugated by dropping the -re at the end and adding a different ending according to the person and tense.
In the present tense, you add -s, -s, –, –ons, –ez, and –ent to the remaining stem.
In the imperfect tense, you add –ais, –ais, –ait, –ions, –iez, and –aient to the remaining stem.
In the future tense, you add –ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, and –ont to the remaining stem.
In the perfect tense, you add present tense of avoir or être before the -re verb and the past participle form of the -re verb.
In the simple past tense, you add –s, -s,-t, -mes, -tes, and -rent to the remaining stem.
How to conjugate -IR verbs in French
French -IR Verbs are conjugated by dropping the -ir at the end and adding a different ending according to the person and tense.
In the present tense, you add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, and -issent to the remaining stem.
In the imperfect tense, you add –ais, –ais, –ait, –ions, –iez, and –aient to the remaining stem.
In the future tense, you add –ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, and –ont to the remaining stem.
In the perfect tense, you add present tense of avoir or être before the -re verb and the past participle form of the -ir verb.
In the simple past tense, you add –s, -s,-t, -mes, -tes, and -rent to the remaining stem.
[…] Extensive list is HERE! […]
Hi, I recently purchased your book ‘Learn French with stories’ – do you have any other similar story-type publications as I found this very useful to help me return to my A-level French standard.
Thanks,
JOhn
Doha, Qatar
Hello John, not for the moment. I am hoping to produce one more by the end of this year.
Are all of them regular verbs ?
Thanks 🙂
Not necessary.
Merci beaucoup, Frederic!!!!
Very informative resources! Merci beaucoup
Merci Dianne 🙂
These were nice
Your “adjective” link sends to the same page as the “adverbs”. I suppose you will want to fix that.
Anyways, thanks for your very useful list.
We fixed it. Thx
Firstly I wanted to say a big THANK YOU!
I just found your page online and omg, what a treasure. I come from speaking portuguese as 1st language and english as 2nd. Now I have to learn french and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, till I found your lessons. These are so structured, so didactic and relevant, I am positively impressed. Just love your work. Please keep it up, it is a valuable tool.
Merci 🙂
This is amazing they are so helpful for my upcoming exam
Bonjour! Je m’appelle Monika et je suis d’inde. I am at beginner level and struggling with speaking and sentence formation in French. I really want to learn the language and to be pro at. I must say your article is a treasure. I was looking for the list of French verb conjugations and I came across your online page. Can you please guide me more?
Hello can you check this article. We provide a lot more guidance here. https://www.talkinfrench.com/beginner-french/
Thx