Verbs of the 1st group at indicative present
For the verbs of the first group, the general endings are always the same, whatever the verb: e, es, e, ons, ez and ent. The exceptions in the first group are only for spelling changes to keep the same sound. This is what we will see now.
The particularities with "nous"
Let's start with the list of features with NOUS in the present tense. Depending on the verb pattern, we have some spelling changes that will appear. These changes keep the sound.
| Verb patterns | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs in -guer | Verbs in -guer keep the u everywhere even with us when it doesn't need it for sound. | Verb fatiguer: nous fatiguons |
| Verbs in -ger | To keep the sound [j], an e appears with us. | Verb manger: nous mangeons |
| Verbs in -cer | To keep the sound [s], a cedilla appears with us. | Verb placer: nous plaçons |
Verbs in -yer
Another notable exception is -yer verbs. These verbs can change their y into an i but not always. In front of NOUS and VOUS, they NEVER change their y. Let's look at the different possible cases.
| Verb pattern | Y stays Y | Y becomes I |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs in -ayer E.g.: payer They have two forms of conjugation. One with the i and the other with the y. | Je paye | Je paie |
| Verbs in -oyer E.g.: nettoyer They change their y in an i all the time. | Je nettoie | |
| Verbs in -uyer E.g.: essuyer They change their y in an i all the time. | J'essuie | |
| Verbs in -eyer E.g.: grasseyer This is the last possible case. Verbs in -eyer keep their y. | Je grasseye |
Verbs in -eler and -eter
Another except concerns all verbs in -eler and -eter. These verbs double their l and t to keep the sound except with NOUS and VOUS. The standard verb is "jeter" (to throw). In its form "je jette", this verb doubles its t. The same for "appeler" (to call) who doubles the l in "j'appelle" to keep the sound è.
| Jeter (to throw) | Appeler (to call) |
|---|---|
| je jette tu jettes il jette nous jetons vous jetez ils jettent |
j'appelle tu appelles il appelle nous appelons vous appelez ils appellent |
However, there are exceptions to be aware of. Verbs like "acheter" and "geler" don't double their t and l and have a grave accent instead. So it says "j'achète" with a grave accent. Here are other examples of verbs that conjugate in this way: haleter, déceler, modeler, ciseler, congeler, marteler et crocheter.
| Acheter (to buy) | Geler (to freeze) |
|---|---|
| j'achète tu achètes il achète nous achetons vous achetez ils achètent |
je gèle tu gèles il gèle nous gelons vous gelez ils gèlent |
Verbs with an "e"
Verbs ending with -ecer, -emer, -eper, -erer, -eser, -ever, -evrer with a "e" to the penultimate syllable of the infinitive. Example: lever
These verbs change their "e" into an "è" except with "nous" and "vous". For example, we write "je lève" with a grave accent. This spelling change is made to keep the sound "è" in the conjugation.
| Lever (to lift) | Amener (to bring) |
|---|---|
| je lève tu lèves il lève nous levons vous levez ils lèvent |
j'amène tu amènes il amène nous amenons vous amenez ils amènent |
Verbs with an "é"
Verbs in -ébrer, -écer, -écher, -écrer, -éder, -égler, -égner, -égrer, -éguer, -éler, -émer, -éner, -équer, -érer, -éser, -éter, -étrer, -évrer, -éyer change their "é" into an "è" except with "nous" and "vous". Example: céder
| Céder (to give in) | Espérer (to hope) |
|---|---|
| je cède tu cèdes il cède nous cédons vous cédez ils cèdent |
j'espère tu espères il espère nous espérons vous espérez ils espèrent |
- The verbs in the first group always have the same endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
- The exceptions mainly concern spelling changes to keep the sound.