Le Présent in French Grammar
The présent in French grammar corresponds to the English simple present. It talks about facts, current situations and repeated actions in the present, as well as scheduled future actions. To conjugate a verb in the French present tense, we add specific endings to the infinitive of the verb depending on whether it ends in -er, -ir or -re.
Le présent de l'indicatif describes current actions, general truths, and habits. Regular -er verbs drop the infinitive ending and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. The présent is also used with depuis to express actions that started in the past and continue into the present.
When to use the présent
facts and ongoing situations in the present
actions that happen once, multiple times or never in the present
a future action that is already planned or agreed upon (requires a specific future time indicator)
the duration of actions that started in the past and are ongoing in the present.
How to conjugate the present tense in French
| Person | -er | -ir (1) | -ir (2) | -re |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | -e | -is | -s | -s |
| tu | -es | -is | -s | -s |
| il/elle | -e | -it | -t | -t / -- |
| nous | -ons | -issons | -ons | -ons |
| vous | -ez | -issez | -ez | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ent | -issent | -ent | -ent |
Spelling rules and exceptions
Examples in Context
Je parle français tous les jours au travail.
I speak French every day at work.
Nous finissons nos devoirs avant le dîner.
We finish our homework before dinner.
Elle attend le bus depuis vingt minutes.
She has been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
Tu vas souvent au cinéma le week-end ?
Do you often go to the cinema on weekends?
Il ne comprend pas la question.
He doesn't understand the question.
On se retrouve à la gare à midi.
We're meeting at the station at noon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Je suis parle français.
Je parle français.
NEVER use être + present tense verb. 'Je suis parle' is a direct calque from English 'I am speaking.' French uses the simple présent for both 'I speak' and 'I am speaking.' The present continuous doesn't exist in French.
Il parles bien français.
Il parle bien français.
The -s ending is ONLY for 'tu' in regular -er verbs: tu parles. For il/elle/on, the ending is -e (for -er verbs), -t or -d (for others). Mixing up tu and il/elle endings is extremely common among beginners.
Nous mangeons des pâtes. (correct but watch spelling)
Nous mangeons des pâtes.
-GER verbs (manger, voyager, nager) insert an -e- before -ons in the nous form: nous mangeons (NOT nous mangons). This preserves the soft 'g' sound. Same for -CER verbs: nous commençons (NOT nous commencons).
Memory Trick
🤫 The Silent Choir (shh-shh-shh-NOUS-VOUS-shh)
For -ER verbs, think of the endings as a 'silent choir': -e, -es, -e are all silent (je parle, tu parles, il parle). Only -ons and -ez make noise (nous parlONS, vous parlEZ). The -ent at the end goes back to silence (ils parlENT). So it's 'shh-shh-shh, LOUD-LOUD, shh' — only two forms are actually pronounced differently!
TEF/TCF Exam Tip
The présent is the foundation of all TEF/TCF tasks. At A1/A2, examiners check basic conjugation accuracy (je parle, tu parles, il parle). At B1+, they look for: depuis + présent to express ongoing actions (Je travaille ici depuis 3 ans — I've been working here for 3 years), si + présent → futur in conditional sentences, and the présent used as a near future (Je pars demain). The depuis construction is a classic B1 differentiator.
In Conversation
A job interview:
Parlez-moi de vous. Que faites-vous actuellement ?
Je travaille dans le marketing depuis cinq ans. Je gère une équipe de dix personnes.
Et pourquoi voulez-vous changer de poste ?
J'aime mon travail, mais je cherche de nouveaux défis. J'apprends vite et je m'adapte facilement.
Le Présent — Free Exercise
FREE EXERCISESTest yourself with 25 interactive questions on tenses/present. Get instant scoring with detailed explanations for every answer. Track your progress on PrepMyFrench.
Verb Conjugator — Present Tense
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