Present Tense: -re Verbs (attendre)

Every French verb has two parts. There is the stem and there is the ending. The stem carries the meaning of the word. The ending tells you who is doing the action. For regular -re verbs, the process is like a Lego set. You take off the old piece and snap on a new one. The stem stays the same for every person. This is great news for your memory. You only have to memorize one set of endings. These endings are slightly different from -er verbs. They have a unique rhythm and sound. Most of these endings are actually silent. This can be tricky at first, but you will get used to it.

1. 1To conjugate a regular -re verb, follow these two simple steps:
2. 2Find the stem by removing the -re from the infinitive. For attendre (to wait), the stem is attend-.
3. 3Add the specific endings for each subject pronoun:
4. 4For je (I), add -s: j'attends.
5. 5For tu (you, informal), add -s: tu attends.
6. 6For il/elle/on (he/she/one), add nothing: il attend.
7. 7For nous (we), add -ons: nous attendons.
8. 8For vous (you, formal/plural), add -ez: vous attendez.
9. 9For ils/elles (they), add -ent: ils attendent.
10. 10Note that the je, tu, il, and ils forms all sound exactly the same. The s, s, and ent are silent. It is like a grammar magic trick. You write them differently, but you say them the same way. Only the nous and vous forms sound different because of their endings.

You use the present tense for several things in French. Use it for actions happening right now. For example, "I am waiting for the bus" is j'attends le bus. Notice that French does not use a word for "am" or "for" here. It is much more direct than English. You also use it for habits. If you sell bread every day, you say je vends du pain. It is also perfect for general truths. "The shop sells books" becomes le magasin vend des livres. Use it in professional settings, like job interviews. You might say je réponds aux questions (I answer questions). It is also handy for asking directions. "Do you hear the train?" is entendez-vous le train?.

Do not use this pattern for every verb ending in -re. French loves its exceptions. Some very common verbs look like they belong here but don't. The most famous rebel is prendre (to take). It has its own special rules. Other rebels include mettre (to put), faire (to do), and dire (to say). Think of these as the "fake" -re verbs. They are like that one friend who never follows the group chat plan. Always check if a verb is "regular" before applying this pattern. If the verb is irregular, this formula will lead you astray. Also, do not use this tense for things that happened yesterday. That requires the past tense, which is a different story for another day.

The biggest mistake is adding a -t to the il/elle form. Many people want to write il attendt. This is wrong. In regular -re verbs, the third-person singular has no ending. The stem already ends in a d, so it sounds finished. Another mistake is pronouncing the -ent at the end of ils attendent. Remember, in French verbs, -ent is usually silent. It is just there to look fancy on paper. Some people also forget to drop the -re before adding endings. Writing j'attendre-s will make a French person tilt their head in confusion. Keep the stem clean and simple. Finally, don't forget the apostrophe with je. If the verb starts with a vowel, je becomes j'.

How does this compare to -er verbs? For -er verbs, the il/elle form ends in -e. For -re verbs, it ends in nothing. This is a key difference to remember. Also, -er verbs use -es for the tu form. Regular -re verbs use -s. It is a small change, but it matters. Compared to -ir verbs, -re verbs are actually simpler. They don't have that extra -iss- sound in the plural forms. Think of -re verbs as the middle ground. They are more consistent than -ir verbs but less common than -er verbs. Once you see the logic, you can switch between these families easily.