French First Group Verbs

The 1st group contains the most numerous and regular verbs in French. They all end in -er in the infinitive (except aller, which is irregular and belongs to the 3rd group).
Key Features of 1st Group Verbs:

• Infinitive ending: -er (manger, parler, chanter)
• Regular conjugation: All follow the same pattern (*except minor spelling exceptions like envoyer, acheter).
• Past participle: Ends in -é (mangé, parlé).

1. Regular Conjugation (Present Tense)

To conjugate a 1st group verb in the present tense:

• Remove the -er ending to get the stem.
• Add the following endings:

Subject	Ending	Example (parler)
je	-e	je parle
tu	-es	tu parles
il/elle/on	-e	il/elle parle
nous	-ons	nous parlons
vous	-ez	vous parlez
ils/elles	-ent	ils/elles parlent

2. Spelling Exceptions (Still Regular)

Some verbs require minor spelling adjustments but keep the same pronunciation:

Verb Type	Change	Example
-ger	Add -e before *-ons/-a*	nous mangeons (manger)
-cer	Ç before *-ons/-a*	nous lançons (lancer)
-e/é → è	Change in mute syllables	j'achète (acheter)
-y → i	Before silent endings	j'envoie (envoyer)

Important Notes:

• All -er verbs (except aller) follow this pattern.
• The past participle always ends in -é (mangé, parlé).
• These verbs are the easiest to learn and form the foundation of French conjugation.

Still unsure? Check our French Verb Conjugator for verification!