Success Series French -re verbs

Infinitive There are 3 groups of REGULAR verbs in French: * verbs ending with -RE = 3rd group Review the presentations on –er and ir verbs. We arebnow going to look at –re verbs

The Infinitive A Stem An ending The infinitive in French consists of : vend -re attend -re Vendre means to sell, attendre :to wait. -re verbs are verbs of the 3rd group

conjugation Stem ending vend re descend re perd re … Now add new endings To conjugate you will keep the stem and drop the infinitive ending -re for 3rd group verbs. Once you have the stem, you will add new endings to this stem. Vendre means to sell (as in a vendor or a vending machine). Descendre is a cognate, it means to go down.

Conjugation of regular –re verbs Singular Plural Je -s Nous -ons Tu -s Vous -ez il / elle on ils / elles -ent As you can , the endings for the conjugation of –re verbs are pretty much the same as for –er verbs. The only difference is for the difference is in the singular (I, you, and he or she). You add s for I and you . There is nothing for the third person singular.

Conjugation of regular –re verbs Singular Plural -s -ons -ez -ent Note that the pronunciation it all sounds the same. –s and ent do not make any sound, it sounds just like e. The only 2 different sounds that can be heard are –ons and ez It looks like a boot

Regular –re verb: Perdre je perds nous perdons tu perds Vous perdez Il/ elle perd on Ils/elles perdent Verbs of the 3rd group are probably the easiest to conjugate. Perdre means to lose.

Regular –re verb: Répondre je réponds nous répondons tu réponds Vous répondez Il/ elle répond on Ils/elles répondent Note that the –re verb repondre ( to answer or to respond) works with the preposition A : repondre au professeur, repondre a la lettre. Do you know what RSVP means? Repondez S’il vous plait!. In English you don’t use ANY preopsituon: I answer you, I answer To uyou

Regular –re verb: Attendre j’ attends nous attendons tu attends Vous attendez Il/ elle attend on Ils/elles attendent Note that attendre is a false cognate. It actually means to wait

Irregular –re verb: Prendre j’ prends nous prenons tu prends Vous prenez Il/ elle prend on Ils/elles prennent Prendre is Irregular. Note that the forms are especially different in the plural : nous, vous ils/ elles

Prendre Apprendre Comprendre Once you learn how to conjugate prendre (to take) you can add the prefix Ap to make the verb apprendre (to learn) which conjugates like prendre or comprendre to understand

Irregular –re verb: Mettre je mets nous mettons tu mets Vous mettez Il/ elle met Ils/elles mettent Mettre (to put) is also Irregular. Note that the forms are especially different in the plural : nous, vous ils/ elles

Mettre Permettre Admettre Once you learn how to conjugate mettre (to take) you can add the prefix per to make the verb permettre (to allow as in permission) which conjugates like mettre or admettre to admit

Passé - Composé Past participle of regular –re verbs: -U J’ai perdu. Prendre = Pris Mettre = Mis Regular –re verbs make their past participles in the passe compose with u added to the stem. Mettre and prendre have irregular past participles

Practice : Conjugate Tu (vendre) Ils (perdre) Nous (attendre) Elle (répondre)

Practice : answers Tu vends Ils perdent Nous attendons Elle répond