200 Most Common French Verbs [+ PDF]

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Learn 200 common French verbs with English meanings, present-tense examples and clear conjugation tips. Get the printable PDF through our free newsletter.

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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These ten verbs help you talk about who you are, what you have, what you do and what you want. Learn their present-tense forms, then practise each one in a sentence you could actually use.

Il and elle mean “he” and “she.” On takes the same verb form and often means “we” in conversation. Vous can address one person politely or several people.

1. Être (to be)

Je suis prêt à commander.
I’m ready to order.

Change prêt to prête if the speaker is female.

For more, visit: The French Verb Être: All You Need To Know

2. Avoir (to have)

Tu as le temps de prendre un café ?
Do you have time for a coffee?

Use avoir in expressions such as avoir le temps (to have time) and avoir faim (to be hungry).

3. Faire (to do; to make)

Nous faisons les courses le samedi.
We do the grocery shopping on Saturdays.

Remember vous faites, not vous faisez.

See also: All About The French verb Faire

4. Aller (to go)

Je vais acheter du pain.
I’m going to buy some bread.

Aller + an infinitive expresses the near future: je vais acheter. Aller itself is conjugated; acheter stays in the infinitive.

See also: All About the French Verb Aller

5. Dire (to say; to tell)

Vous dites « bonjour » en entrant.
You say “hello” when you come in.

Remember vous dites, not vous disez.

See also: All About the French Verb Dire

6. Voir (to see)

Tu vois la boulangerie à gauche ?
Can you see the bakery on the left?

Notice the y in nous voyons and vous voyez.

See also: All About the Verb Voir

7. Savoir (to know)

Je sais où se trouve la gare.
I know where the station is.

Savoir often introduces information or a skill: je sais où…; je sais nager (I know how to swim).

See also: Savoir and connaître: how their uses differ.

8. Venir (to come)

Mes amis viennent dîner ce soir.
My friends are coming for dinner tonight.

Compare nous venons with ils viennent: the stem changes.

9. Vouloir (to want)

Nous voulons pratiquer le français chaque jour.
We want to practise French every day.

After vouloir, a second verb stays in the infinitive: nous voulons pratiquer.

10. Pouvoir (can; to be able to)

Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you repeat that, please?

After pouvoir, a second verb stays in the infinitive: vous pouvez répéter.

A short exercise: choose the present-tense form

Complete each sentence with the verb in brackets. Say the whole sentence aloud before checking your answer.

1. Je ___ prêt à partir. (être)
2. Tu ___ une question ? (avoir)
3. Vous ___ les courses aujourd’hui ? (faire)
4. Nous ___ au marché. (aller)
5. Vous ___ toujours la vérité. (dire)
6. Elles ___ de Lyon. (venir)

Answers and explanations

1. suis — Je takes suis: Je suis prêt à partir. — I’m ready to leave.
2. as — Tu takes as: Tu as une question ? — Do you have a question?
3. faites — The vous form is faites: Vous faites les courses aujourd’hui ? — Are you doing the shopping today?
4. allons — Nous takes allons: Nous allons au marché. — We’re going to the market.
5. dites — The vous form is dites: Vous dites toujours la vérité. — You always tell the truth.
6. viennent — Elles takes viennent: Elles viennent de Lyon. — They come from Lyon.

Make it personal: write one true sentence beginning with Je veux… and one beginning with Je peux…. Use an infinitive after the conjugated verb.

200 Most Common French Verbs

• êtreto be; being
• avoirto have
• allerto go
• faireto do, make
• direto say, tell
• pouvoircan, to be able to
• vouloirto want
• savoirto know
• voirto see
• devoirto have to; must; to owe
• venirto come, occur
• suivreto follow
• parlerto speak, talk
• prendreto take, get
• croireto believe, think
• aimerto love, like, be fond of
• falloirit is necessary, must, have to
• passerto pass, go by, cross
• penserto think
• attendreto wait for, expect
• trouverto find
• laisserto leave
• arriverto arrive
• donnerto give, give away
• regarderto look at, watch
• appelerto call, ring
• partirto go, leave, go away
• mettreto put, put on, wear
• resterto stay, remain
• arrêterto stop
• connaîtreto know, experience
• demanderto ask, ask for, be looking for
• comprendreto understand
• sortirto go out; take out
• entendreto hear, listen to, understand
• chercherto look for, seek
• aiderto help, aid
• essayerto try, try out, test
• revenirto come back, return
• jouerto play
• finirto finish, end
• perdreto lose, miss
• sentirto smell, sniff, feel
• rentrerto bring in, take in; to get in, go in, come home
• vivreto live, be alive, go through
• rendreto return, give back, repay
• tenirto hold, run, keep, last
• oublierto forget, miss
• travaillerto work, work on, practice
• mangerto eat
• entrerto go in, enter, come in
• devenirto become
• commencerto start, begin
• payerto pay
• tirerto pull, draw
• ouvrirto open
• changerto change, exchange
• excuserto forgive, pardon, excuse
• dormirto sleep; to lie idle
• occuperto occupy, live in, take up
• marcherto walk, march, go
• envoyerto send, throw, dispatch, refer
• apprendreto learn, to hear (about)
• boireto drink
• garderto keep, to look after, to guard
• montrerto show, point out
• asseoirto sit down, sit up
• porterto carry, wear
• prierto pray
• servirto serve
• écrireto write
• retrouverto find; to meet
• gagnerto win, earn
• acheterto buy
• rappelerto remind, remember, call back, be reminiscent of
• lireto read
• monterto go up, rise, come up
• quitterto leave, depart
• emmenerto take (somebody), take along
• toucherto touch
• continuerto continue, go on
• Raconterto tell
• répondreto answer, reply
• sauverto save
• rencontrerto meet, encounter
• fermerto close, shut
• valoirto hold, apply; to be worth
• compterto count
• bougerto move
• apporterto bring, supply
• déciderto decide
• vendreto sell
• expliquerto explain, account for
• agirto act, behave; work, take effect
• adorerto adore, love
• recevoirto receive, to get
• utiliserto use
• coucherto put to bed, lay down, to sleep
• préférerto prefer
• offrirto offer, give
• préparerto prepare, make, get ready
• choisirto choose
• conduireto drive, lead
• chanterto sing
• présenterto introduce, present
• accepterto accept
• refuserto refuse, turn down
• terminerto end, finish
• amuserto amuse, entertain
• intéresserto interest
• Rireto laugh, have fun, joke
• pardonnerto forgive, pardon, excuse
• embrasserto kiss; to embrace, encompass
• danserto dance
• détesterto hate, detest
• maintenirto keep, maintain
• supposerto suppose, assume
• épouserto marry, to espouse
• approcherto approach
• craindreto fear, to be afraid of
• crierto shout
• inviterto invite
• arrangerto arrange, to organize
• remercierto thank
• répéterto repeat; to go over, rehearse
• signerto sign
• accompagnerto go with, accompany
• oserto dare
• permettreAllow
• annulerCancel
• laverClean
• se plaindreComplain
• faire du malHurt
• avoir besoin deto need
• épelerto spell
• traduireTranslate
• éteindreturn off
• allumerturn on
• se réveillerwake up
• ajouterto add
• goûterto taste
• coûterto cost
• cuireto cook
• décrireto describe
• effacerto erase
• enseignerto teach
• nettoyerto clean
• noterto write down
• reconnaîtreto recognize
• remplacerto replace
• visiterto visit
• souhaiterto wish
• tomberto fall
• acclamerto cheer, acclaim
• accorderto admit
• accourirto hurry
• accrocherto hang (up)
• accueillirto welcome
• acquérirto acquire
• adjoindreto appoint
• admirerto admire
• annoncerto announce
• arracherto pull up/out
• augmenterto increase
• avoir raisonto be right
• blaguerto joke
• causerto chat, cause
• cheminerto walk on
• confondreto confuse
• conseillerto recommend
• dépenserto spend
• emprunterto borrow
• endormirto put to sleep
• éviterto avoid
• féliciterto congratulate
• geindreto groan
• informerto inform
• nommerto name
• louerto rent
• ressentirto feel
• secouerto shake
• soutenirto support
• jurerto swear, vow
• se méprendreto be mistaken; to misunderstand
• mélangerto mix
• apprendre par coeurto memorize
• reconduireto renew
• rejeterto reject
• gérerto manage
• refléterto reflect
• presserto squeeze
• répandreto spread
• frapperto knock
• remettreto put back (on)
• revêtirto put on
• enregistrerto record
• pêcherto fish
• rougirto redden
• tousserto cough
• pleurerto 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:

120 Common Adverbs

129 Most Common French Adjectives

Be sure to start practicing these words with our Ultimate French Pronunciation Guide!

Of course, conjugation is another thing you’ll have to work on. You know what will help you learn French verb conjugations effortlessly? French Verb Drills!

With the French Verb Drills from the French Verb Conjugation Course, you’ll be able to learn how to conjugate French verbs without memorizing anything. The drills cover just the most commonly used French verbs, but it will help you learn 80% of all French verbs through the verb endings.

Learn more about it below.

Here are some FAQs about Most Common French Verbs

How to conjugate –ER verbs in French

For regular first-group -er verbs such as aimer, remove -er and add the present-tense endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent: j’aime, tu aimes, il/elle aime, nous aimons, vous aimez, ils/elles aiment. Aller is irregular; some other -er verbs have spelling changes.

For the imperfect, use the present-tense nous stem without -ons, then add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient: j’aimais, nous aimions.

For the simple future, keep the infinitive and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: j’aimerai, nous aimerons.

For the passé composé, use the correct auxiliary in the present plus the past participle: j’ai aimé. Regular -er past participles end in -é. Auxiliary choice and agreement depend on the verb and construction.

For the literary passé simple, add -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent to the stem: j’aimai, nous aimâmes, ils aimèrent.

How to conjugate –RE verbs in French

For -re verbs that follow the vendre pattern, remove -re and add -s, -s, no ending, -ons, -ez, -ent in the present: je vends, tu vends, il/elle vend, nous vendons, vous vendez, ils/elles vendent. This is not a rule for every -re verb: prendre, mettre and faire, for example, have different patterns.

For the imperfect, use the present-tense nous stem without -ons: je vendais, nous vendions.

For the simple future of vendre, remove only the final -e from the infinitive and add the future endings: je vendrai, nous vendrons.

For the passé composé, use the correct auxiliary and past participle: j’ai vendu. Do not assume that every -re verb has the same past participle or auxiliary.

The passé simple of vendre is je vendis, tu vendis, il/elle vendit, nous vendîmes, vous vendîtes, ils/elles vendirent.

How to conjugate -IR verbs in French

Regular second-group -ir verbs such as finir use the present-tense endings -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent after removing -ir: je finis, tu finis, il/elle finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent. Other -ir verbs, including partir, venir and ouvrir, follow different patterns.

For the imperfect of finir, use finiss-, the present-tense nous stem without -ons, then add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient: je finissais, nous finissions.

For the simple future, keep the infinitive and add the future endings: je finirai, nous finirons.

For the passé composé of finir, use present-tense avoir plus fini: j’ai fini. Other -ir verbs can have different past participles and auxiliary requirements.

The passé simple of finir is je finis, tu finis, il/elle finit, nous finîmes, vous finîtes, ils/elles finirent.