Verbs perform action in every language — they are words that tell us what nouns do. “Eat,” “read,” and “sleep” are all verbs, just like “run” and “look.” But French verbs do something that English verbs don't — or at least not in so much detail. They “conjugate.” That means the end of the word changes depending on how it's used.

The Conjugation Map — La carte de conjugaison

Do you know what “conjugation” means? It means to change the form of the verb. In English, we conjugate a little bit. We say “she walks” but “we walk.” The difference is the “s” for the singular, “she” who “walks,” and no “s” for the plural “we” who “walk.” French conjugation is fussier, but once you get the hang of it, it's fun to figure out which ending goes on the verb. There are a lot to choose from!

To match the noun to the verb, see if the noun is singular (I, you, he/she/it) or plural (we, you, they).

-ER Verb Map. Manger (to eat)

-IR Verb Map. Finir (to finish)

-RE Verb Map. Rendre (to give back)

Translating Verbs — Traduire les verbes

Try and use the verb endings so you start to get used to them. Fill in the French equivalent of each verb phrase: