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GRAMMAR FOR DUMMIES : -ER verbs

In French there are three categories of verbs : the ones ending in –ER, the ones in –IR and the ones in –RE.

The –ER ones are the most common ones and are all regular (apart from ALLER that is The exception to the rule).

No matter the level you have you probably know more than fifteen –ER verbs.

Let’s test it ! How many do you know out of that list ?

PARLER GARER MANGER PRÉPARER

APPELER RACONTER TRAVAILLER PETIT-DÉJEUNER

TÉLÉPHONER RENCONTRER HABITER DÉJEUNER

DEMANDER CHERCHER REGARDER DINER

EXPLIQUER TROUVER OBSERVER LAVER

SKIER MONTER VOYAGER RÉPARER

UTILISER CHANGER NETTOYER NAGER

The list is far from being complete, there are about 200 –ER verbs who will follow the same logic. Let’s see how to put them into a sentence.

PARLER

Je parle

Tu parles

Il /elle/ on parle

Nous parlons

Vous parlez

Ils/ elles parlent

Prononciation is the same for : je parle / tu parles /Il parle / elle parle / on parle / ils parlent / elles parlent !!! it is pronounced : « parl »

In a positive sentence :

Je parle français. /parl/

Tu parles italien. /parl/

Il parle espagnol. /parl/

Elle parle allemand. / parl/

On parle français. / parl/

Nous parlons suédois. / parlon/

Vous parlez chinois. /parlay/

Ils parlent japonais. /parl/

Elles parlent polonais. / parl/

In a negative sentence :

Je ne parle pas espagnol.

Tu ne parles pas allemand.

Il ne parle pas italien.

Elle ne parle pas russe.

On ne parle pas polonais.

Nous ne parlons pas français.

Vous ne parlez pas norvégien.

Ils ne parlent pas turc.

Elles ne parlent pas népalais.

In a question :

Est-ce-que vous parlez anglais ?

Est-ce-que tu parles français ?

Est ce qu’il parle espagnol ?

Est ce qu’elle parle chinois ?

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