Using the Present

French verbs are like LEGO sets. Each verb has a base piece. We call this the stem. Then it has a hat. We call this the ending. To conjugate a verb, you change the hat. The ending tells us who is performing the action. Is it you? Is it your cat? The ending makes it clear. In English, we mostly stay the same. We say "I eat" and "you eat." French is more specific. Every "person" gets a unique ending. It sounds harder than it is. Most verbs follow very predictable patterns. You just need to learn the system. Think of it like a secret code. Once you know the key, you can read everything.

1. 1French verbs belong to three main families. You can tell the family by the verb's tail.
2. 2The -ER Family (The Easy Crowd)
3. 3This is the biggest group. 90% of verbs live here.
4. 4Take the infinitive like parler (to speak).
5. 5Chop off the -er. Now you have the stem: parl-.
6. 6Add these endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
7. 7Je parle, Tu parles, Il parle.
8. 8The -IR Family (The Systematic Group)
9. 9These are slightly more rhythmic. Take finir (to finish).
10. 10Remove the -ir. Your stem is fin-.
11. 11Add: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
12. 12Je finis, Nous finissons.
13. 13The -RE Family (The Smallest Group)
14. 14Take vendre (to sell).
15. 15Remove -re. Your stem is vend-.
16. 16Add: -s, -s, -(nothing), -ons, -ez, -ent.
17. 17Je vends, Il vend.
18. 18Yes, there are rebels. Verbs like être (to be) and avoir (to have) do their own thing. They are the rockstars of French. You just have to memorize them. They are everywhere.

Use the present tense for three big scenarios. First, use it for things happening right now. You are reading this. Tu lis. Second, use it for things that are always true. The sun rises. Le soleil se lève. Water boils at 100 degrees. Third, use it for habits. You drink coffee every morning. Je bois du café.

You can also use it for the very near future. If you are leaving in five minutes, use the present. Je pars dans cinq minutes. It feels more certain. Use it when ordering food at a bistro. Je prends un steak-frites. Use it during a job interview to describe your skills. Je parle trois langues. It is the tense of reality.

Do not use it for things that are over. If you finished your coffee ten minutes ago, the present is dead. You need the past. Do not use it for vague dreams far in the future. If you might move to Mars in 2050, use the future tense.

Another big warning for English speakers: do not use it with être to describe ongoing actions. In English, we say "I am eating." In French, you do not say Je suis mangeant. That sounds like a robot breaking down. Just say Je mange. One word does all the work. It is like a grammar shortcut. Take it and run.

The biggest trap is the "Suis" Trap. English speakers love the word "am." They want to say Je suis marche for "I am walking." This is a classic beginner mistake. Even native speakers might chuckle at this one. Just drop the suis. Je marche is all you need.

Another mistake is the "Silent Ending." In the word mangent, the -ent is silent. It is a ninja ending. You write it, but you do not say it. If you pronounce it, you sound like you are trying too hard. Keep it quiet. Also, watch out for tu. It always ends in -s. Think of tu and -s as best friends who never leave each other's side. If you forget the -s, the sentence feels naked.

English is actually more complicated than French here. We have "I eat" (a habit) and "I am eating" (right now). French combines these into one. Je mange handles both jobs. This is a huge win for you. You don't have to choose between two versions.

However, French is more strict about the "who." In English, we say "They eat" and "We eat." The verb doesn't change much. In French, Ils mangent and Nous mangeons look very different. You must match the verb to the person. It is like matching your socks. If they don't match, people will notice. But don't worry. The patterns are so common they will become second nature soon.