What are the most important irregular French verbs to learn?

The top 10 irregular French verbs you must know are: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make), pouvoir (can), vouloir (want), devoir (must), savoir (to know), venir (to come), and prendre (to take). These verbs are used constantly in everyday French and serve as models for other irregular patterns.

Are there patterns to French irregular verbs?

Yes, many irregular verbs follow sub-patterns. Verbs like venir and tenir share the same conjugation pattern (je viens/je tiens). Verbs like mettre, battre, and their compounds follow the -ttre pattern. Prendre, comprendre, and apprendre share the -prendre pattern. Learning these families reduces the memorization burden significantly.

How do I memorize irregular French verb conjugations?

Group irregular verbs by shared patterns (venir/tenir, mettre/battre, prendre/comprendre). Focus on the most common tenses first: présent, imparfait, futur simple, passé composé — these cover 90% of usage. Practice with spaced repetition and use PrepMyFrench's free interactive verb exercises for instant feedback.

How do I conjugate French verbs?

French verbs are conjugated by identifying the group (-er, -ir, -re) and applying the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun and tense. Regular -er verbs follow a predictable pattern, while -ir and -re verbs have more variations. Irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire) must be memorized. PrepMyFrench offers a complete conjugator tool and 150+ free exercises.

What are the 3 groups of French verbs?

The three groups of French verbs are: 1st group (-er verbs like parler, aimer — the largest and most regular), 2nd group (-ir verbs ending in -issant like finir, choisir), and 3rd group (all other -ir, -re, and -oir verbs including irregulars like prendre, venir, vouloir). Each group follows different conjugation patterns.

What are the most common irregular French verbs?

The most common irregular French verbs are: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make), pouvoir (can), vouloir (want), devoir (must), savoir (to know), venir (to come), and prendre (to take). These top 50 verbs account for the vast majority of everyday French speech and writing.

What is the difference between avoir and être as auxiliaries?

In compound tenses like passé composé, most French verbs use avoir as the auxiliary (J'ai parlé). However, être is used with: (1) 17 Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp verbs (aller, venir, arriver, partir, monter, descendre, etc.), (2) all pronominal/reflexive verbs (Je me suis lavé), and (3) the passive voice (Il est aimé).

Where can I learn French grammar online for free?

PrepMyFrench offers a complete free French grammar course covering tenses, verbs, nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and sentence structure. All 60+ lessons include interactive exercises designed for TEF/TCF Canada exam preparation, from A1 beginner to C1 advanced levels.

What are the most important French grammar topics for the TEF/TCF exam?

The most important French grammar topics for TEF/TCF Canada are: verb tenses (présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, subjonctif, conditionnel), relative pronouns (qui, que, dont, où), sentence structure (negation, interrogative forms, indirect speech), and adjective agreement. PrepMyFrench covers all of these with free exercises.

Is French grammar hard to learn?

French grammar has challenging aspects — like gendered nouns, verb conjugations, and the subjunctive mood — but it follows consistent rules. The key is structured practice. PrepMyFrench's grammar section breaks down each topic with clear explanations and 150+ interactive exercises that let you learn step by step.

How can I practice French grammar with exercises?

PrepMyFrench provides free interactive grammar exercises for every topic: multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, conjugation drills, and sentence building. Exercises are organized by level (A1-C1) and topic, with instant feedback so you can learn from mistakes immediately.

Overview Tenses Verbs Nouns Articles Pronouns Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Games Conjugator

IRREGULAR VERBS

French Irregular Verbs List

The table below presents a list of the most common irregular verbs in French along with their conjugation in different tenses.

Rebels Title

Essential Label

avoir

“Meaning avoir”

je j'ai

tu tu

Essential Label

être

“Meaning être”

je suis

tu tu

Essential Label

aller

“Meaning aller”

je vais

tu tu

Essential Label

faire

“Meaning faire”

je fais

tu tu

Index Title

abattre

“Meaning abattre”

battreInheritance Label battre

absoudre

“Meaning absoudre”

dissoudreInheritance Label dissoudre

abstenir (s’)

“Meaning abstenir”

tenirInheritance Label tenir

acheter

“Meaning acheter”

Tense présentj’achète, tu achètes, il/elle/on achète, nous achetons, vous achetez, ils/elles achètent

Tense futur simplej’achèterai, tu achèteras, il/elle/on achètera, nous achèterons, vous achèterez, ils/elles achèteront

avoir

“Meaning avoir”

Tense présentj'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont

Tense passé composéj'ai eu

Tense futur simplej'aurai, tu auras, il aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils auront

être

“Meaning être”

Tense présentje suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont

Tense passé composéj'ai été

Tense futur simpleje serai, tu seras, il sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils seront

aller

“Meaning aller”

Tense présentje vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont

Tense futur simplej'irai, tu iras, il ira, nous irons, vous irez, ils iront

faire

“Meaning faire”

Tense présentje fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font

Tense futur simpleje ferai, tu feras, il fera, nous ferons, vous ferez, ils feront

dire

“Meaning dire”

Tense présentje dis, tu dis, il dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils disent

Tense passé composéj'ai dit

voir

“Meaning voir”

Tense présentje vois, tu vois, il voit, nous voyons, vous voyez, ils voient

Tense passé composéj'ai vu

acquérir

“Meaning acquérir”

Tense futur simplej’acquerrai, tu acquerras, il/elle/on acquerra, nous acquerrons, vous acquerrez, ils/elles acquerront

Tense conditionnelj’acquerrais, tu acquerrais, il/elle/on acquerrait, nous acquerrions, vous acquerriez, ils/elles acquerraient

Acquerir Note

Tool tip

Not sure about a specific conjugation? Want to check a specific verb? Go to our French verb conjugator. To learn more about the different tenses, go to our overview of the French indicative tenses.

Tool Tip Action

Examples in Context

Je vais au marché tous les samedis.

I go to the market every Saturday. (aller)

Tu fais toujours de ton mieux.

You always do your best. (faire)

Il peut venir ce soir s'il veut.

He can come tonight if he wants. (pouvoir + vouloir)

Nous venons de Paris.

We come from Paris. (venir)

Elles prennent le petit-déjeuner ensemble.

They have breakfast together. (prendre)

Je sais que tu dois partir tôt.

I know you have to leave early. (savoir + devoir)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ Wrong

Je suis allé, tu es allé... (passé composé)

✓ Correct

Je suis allé(e). N'oublie pas l'accord !

Aller uses être in passé composé: je suis allé(e). The past participle must agree: Elle est allée, Ils sont allés. This is a Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp verb.

✗ Wrong

Je peux venir ? (correct) / Je peus venir ? (wrong)

✓ Correct

Je peux venir ?

Pouvoir is irregular: je peux (not je peus), tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent. The 'x' ending for je/tu is unusual but essential.

✗ Wrong

Je sais conduire. / Je connais Paris.

✓ Correct

Both correct: savoir = know how to / facts. connaître = be familiar with / know people/places.

Savoir vs connaître is a classic trap. Savoir + infinitive = know how to. Connaître + noun/name = be familiar with. Je sais nager, Je connais Marie.

Memory Trick

🦹 The Irregular Verb Alliance

Irregular verbs are the 'rebel alliance' of French — they refuse to follow the standard -er/-ir/-re patterns. But even rebels have families! Venir and tenir share the same conjugation. Prendre, comprendre, and apprendre are triplets. Mettre, battre, and promettre march together. Learn the rebel families instead of fighting each verb alone. Think of it like a mafia — once you know the family boss (venir), you know all the capos (tenir, devenir, revenir)!

TEF/TCF Exam Tip

Irregular verbs are tested at every TEF/TCF level. A1/A2: être, avoir, aller, faire (present). B1: pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir, venir, prendre (present + passé composé). B2: all irregulars in subjunctive and conditional. The most frequently tested irregulars: être, avoir, faire, aller, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir. Master these 7 in all tenses first.

In Conversation

A student struggling with irregular verb patterns:

Étudiant

Je ne peux pas retenir tous ces verbes irréguliers !

Prof

Regroupe-les par famille. Venir, tenir, devenir, revenir — tous pareils !

Étudiant

Et prendre, comprendre, apprendre ?

Prof

Exactement ! Même radical, mêmes terminaisons. Tu viens de découvrir le secret.

PRACTICE THIS TOPIC

irregular French verbs — Free Exercises

FREE EXERCISES

Practice irregular with 25 interactive multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank exercises. Instant scoring with grammar explanations for each answer.

Conjugate Any Irregular Verb

FREE TOOL

Type any irregular French verb into PrepMyFrench's free conjugator — aller, faire, prendre, venir, pouvoir, vouloir — and see all forms instantly.

Verbs

Grammar Modules

French Irregular Verbs List

Rebels Title

avoir

être

aller

faire

Index Title

abattre

absoudre

abstenir (s’)

acheter

avoir

être

aller

faire

dire

voir

acquérir

Tool tip

Examples in Context

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Memory Trick

TEF/TCF Exam Tip

In Conversation

irregular French verbs — Free Exercises

Conjugate Any Irregular Verb

Related Grammar Topics