What Does It Mean to Conjugate a Verb in French
There is a secret to mastering French verbs. All the French kids do it! Follow my tips to understand how simple French verbs tin can be!
It'southward no hugger-mugger French verb conjugations are a pain for students of French. Even in the present tense of the indicative, at that place are many forms to memorize, not to mention all the irregular verbs conjugations.
However, I have a solution for you that will brand everything simpler!
How exercise you think French children call up all these verb forms ?
At First Glance, Even The French Present Tense Looks Overwhelming
Almost French verb methods will start past telling that in French, the verb ending volition change according to the French subject pronoun.
Permit'south take the verb "parler" (to speak) for example.
Note the way it is written at the finish. Traditional method will often emphasis the spelling like I did, highlighting the endings in assuming, or in cherry-red…
- Je parle
- Tu parles
- Il parle
- Elle parleastward
- On parleast
- Nous parlons
- Vous parlez
- Ils parlent
- Elles parlent
When an English educatee looks at this, it's quite overwhelming… In English, you lot add an Southward to the tertiary person atypical (he, she, information technology). Merely except for a few irregular verbs like to be, the verb is not going to change much:
- I speak, you speak, we speak, they speak… so he speaks, she speaks, it speaks
Quite uncomplicated isn't it compared to the French verb conjugation?
Understanding Regular French Verb Conjugation
The instance of the verb "parler" was what nosotros call "a regular verb" in French, verbs which follow the exact same conjugation blueprint.
For example, for "parler", here is the logic explained past traditional methods:
- Remove the "er" – this volition give you what is called "the stem" in grammatical jargon.
Parler – er = parl - To the stem, add the ending corresponding the the subject area pronoun
Je = stem + e = je parle
Tu = stalk + es = tu parles
Il, elle, on = stem + e = il, elle, on parle
Nous = stalk + ons = nous parlons
Vous = stalk + ez = vous parlez
Ils, elles + stem + ent = ils, elles parlent
This is simple enough, and students spend hours upon hours writing these verbs conjugation down.
Grammar books have pages upon pages of French conjugation tables, for the French present indicative tense but too all the other French tenses and French moods, and they promise that when you practise this way, you lot'll main your French verb conjugations.
I beg to differ!
The problem is that nobody teaches how to learn the French verb properly.
So outset, let'southward consider your brilliant encephalon, shall we?
Consider Your Vivid Brain
So let'due south start at the start, with the French subject pronouns.
Most of the time, when you lot're conjugating a verb, yous'll use a subject pronoun.
E'er Cohabit A Verb With A Bailiwick Pronoun
It's essential that y'all learn the bailiwick pronoun WITH its verb form. In other words, if you become: "parle, parle, parle, parlons, parlez, parlent" it does zero for your brain: y'all repeat sequence of words that have no significant.
Furthermore, you'd be messing up the pronunciation since there are often of import liaisons or elisions between the pronouns and the verb. Check-out my free "être" audio lesson and see how the pronunciation differs with the liaisons and glidings that happen in modern spoken French.
And then the very start step is to remember well-nigh what you are saying! Picture someone doing something. Your brain will process and shop the verb forms much longer if you add together a meaning to it.
Drill The French Verb Conjugations With All The Subject Pronouns
There are 9 French subject field pronouns. Je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles.
Most French conjugation tables show only 6: je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils. Non simply is it sexist, simply it'southward really bad for French students who then seldom train with the feminine form – and usually know nearly nothing about the French subject pronoun on.
So please, don't make this mistake. Drill with all the 9 subject pronouns.
Cohabit The Verbs Out Of Order
Did y'all notice you lot never remember the "ils" (plural) form? It'due south considering you lot've just conjugated the French verbs in order, from "je" to "ils". And your super smart encephalon then idea there was a reason for it. It meant that "je" was of import (and y'all normally "picture" the situation much more than with "je" anyhow) and "ils"… not then much. So it prioritised the info.
Now, let's talk about something that really bothers me…
The French Verb Classification Absurdity
The French verbs are classified amid 3 groups of verbs whose conjugation pattern is "anticipated".
- The beginning group = French verbs ending in "ER"
- The second group = French verbs ending in "IR"
- The third group = French verbs ending in "RE"
And then far, information technology looks logical…
EXCEPT that in French, nosotros also have a ton of "irregular" verbs. Verbs whose conjugation pattern is either not at all anticipated, or fifty-fifty sub-categories, several verbs which follow the same irregularity and therefore class a sub-group.
The first group, the "ER" group but has one irregular verb: a verb that ends in "er" Merely that doesn't follow the same conjugation pattern as "parler". It's a big one too, the verb "aller" which is SO very useful in French… Well, already it'south non exact, since there are as well the verbs that end in "ER", are regular for their endings, but will change stem spelling… Such equally "jeter". Just I digress…
So, the starting time French verb group catastrophe in "ER" is somewhat solid. Many useful verbs are indeed conjugated according to this pattern.
However, in my apprehensive opinion, the ii other "groups" have then many exceptions that they almost make no sense…
Yep, OK, verbs similar "grossir" (to gain weight), "finir" (to terminate), "choisir" (to choose)… are regular "IR" verbs.
Simply many, many verbs catastrophe in "IR" are irregular.
And they are very, very common verbs: "venir" (to come), "tenir" (to agree), "sortir" (to exit), "dormir" (to sleep), "partir" (to exit) or fifty-fifty "dire"(to say – yes I know, it's spelled IRE but it sounds like IR) and the listing goes on and on…
So, how does a student know which "IR" verb is regular or not?
When there are so many exceptions to a group, and the exceptions are the almost useful/ commonly used verbs, should you still emphasis the group then much?
Should students spend hours drilling on these "IR" and "RE" groups or rather spend that fourth dimension drilling on the about mutual irregular verbs which they are certain they're going to be using on an everyday basis?
This is exactly the logic I practical in my unique audiobooks French Verb Conjugation Drills.
The Hugger-mugger To French Verb Conjugation
How do yous remember French children remember all these French verb conjugations?
If information technology was that hard, they wouldn't exist able to talk at all!
The clandestine, the 1 thing French method should really focus on, is the correct French pronunciation of these verbs.
Take the verb "parler" in the nowadays tense.
- "Je, tu, il, elle, on, ils, elles" verb forms are all pronounced exactly the same = "parl". Simply like the stem.
- The "nous from" is pronounced "on" (nasal) = "parlon"
- The "vous" course is pronounced "é", only like the infinitive class of the verb "parler". So "parlez = parler = parlé" in pronunciation.
French is a living language. People use it everyday to communicate. I'yard not maxim it's an easy language, merely it'south easier than the traditional way of teaching it!
The same exact logic could use to the French passé composé agreements:
- Parler, parlez, parlé, parlée, parlés, parlées = "parlé"
They are all pronounced the same way.
When you're speaking French and the verb ends in a [é] sound, you shouldn't fifty-fifty think near the way it's spelled. It'southward only in writing that it matters!
You lot should start learn to speak French. Pronounce information technology properly. Then (and simply if you need to) focus on writing the verb class in French! That's exactly how French kids do information technology.
A Terrible – However And then Common – French Verb Error
If more focus was placed on the French verb pronunciation, I wouldn't hear so many students pronounce the silent "ent" of the "ils/elles" forms of French verbs.
However it'due south one of the most common mistakes I hear! You have no idea the number of avant-garde French students that butcher their French verbs!
And don't fifty-fifty go me started on the liaisons and silent letters. Did yous know that the South of "nous" and "vous" is NEVER pronounced like an S? Never ever, e'er!
Information technology's either silent, or it's pronounced like a Z in liaison.
In other words, it would be much simpler if you'd learned:
- Nous = noo
- Vous = voo
And then learned the French verbs requiring elision in French and liaison with their right pronunciation right away.
Big Mistake = Learning Your French Verb Conjugations Without Audio
So, y'all could say that audio is kind of a new thing, that upwards to now, most books didn't accept sound and that's why they were written this fashion.
In my opinion, nowadays information technology's a crime to develop a French learning method without audio.
However look at this nowadays article. Dissimilar all my downloadable French audiobooks, this article doesn't have audio, does information technology? Yet I could make my bespeak across.
It's a question of thinking outside the box.
At present check my complimentary sound guide featuring the French verb être conjugations and pronunciation. I bet that's non how you learned to pronounce that verb…
This being said, each French student should accept a Bescherelles or other French verb book to bank check the way a French verb is spelled.
Information technology's a good investment because if you program on writing French, you'll need such a book: we all do (information technology's a requirement for every French school kid who eventually has to acquire how to spell the verbs)!
The Key To Learning French Successfully = Prioritise
I'grand not saying that all the other French learning methods are incorrect. Their content is right, or form. It's the approach that is wrong.
A five-years-erstwhile has been conjugating "parler" and saying "tu parles" correctly for half of his life… So when southward/he learns to write, due south/he will discover with surprise that the French yous, the "tu" grade is usually written with a silent "south". It's all news to him/her too, and a big shock! And teachers will correct that mistake for years on, believe me.
So of course, our adult mind doesn't work like the one of a toddler. And knowing grammar tin can and will actually assistance you chief French: I strongly believe agreement French verb grammar is really essential to principal French. And it will allow you to save time.
However, if you are learning French to communicate in French, and not only to pass written exams, you really need to learn everything with audio, and examine the logic of the French learning method you are using.
À Moi Paris Audiobook Method
A new approach to learning both traditional and modernistic French logically structured for English speakers.
More than Details & Sound Samples
6 Steps To Master French Verb Conjugations
Here is my solution in half dozen steps to master French verb conjugations and gain speed when speaking French:
1 – Learn how to pronounce the verbs correctly
If you lot're learning French to speak French, and so focus on the pronunciation.
2 – Exercise out-loud
Exercise out-loud and with audio with the most useful verbs (no affair whether they are regular or not).
3 – Say the verb with its pronoun
Always drill out-50oud with the verb and the pronoun at the same time.
The pronoun and the verb should come naturally together with the correct elision, liaison or gliding.
Drilling in your caput won't piece of work either: you need to hear information technology as you say information technology.
4 – Drill at random
That's another stupid matter traditional methods do: they always take yous drill from "je" to "ils".
Your super efficient brain therefore prioritise the verb conjugation this mode and then y'all are surprised when you can never remember the "ils" forms…
5 – Prioritise
A beginner has no need to learn the French subjunctive. Information technology should non be its priority yet.
Make sure you lot know the present indicative inside out. It's the tense nosotros use in most conversations. It's likewise the tense on which well-nigh of the other tenses are based (for example, the base of operations for the French imparfait is the "nous" form of the present indicative)
6 – Drill in the affirmative and the negative
Students usually just drill the French verbs in the affirmative.
Drilling in the negative is essential so you don't have to "build" your negative form and waste product time.
Same for the inversion used in question.
Practice The French Know Which Verb Tense To Use?
If you lot believe all French people understand French conjugation, and know when – or how – to use the subjunctive, for example, you are mistaken.
Yes, we did learn it in schoolhouse. But it was a long fourth dimension agone. And we were not necessarily paying attention (although French grammar and conjugation a huge part of the French school plan – a much bigger part compared to English grammar in an English speaking countries)
Instead, we rely on our French ear. It's because we know how to speak the linguistic communication that we tin can write it correctly.
For example, if I'grand writing :
- Il faut que tu aies du backbone = You demand to exist courageous.
I'grand going to be very tempted to write "il faut que tu es du backbone". Why? Because "tu es" is widely used, and it sounds the same way as "tu aies". Ok, it's not the same mood (indicative ≠ subjunctive). It's non even the same verb! (être versus avoir) simply it's such a potent habit to write "tu es" that information technology's really a very common mistake.
Then how would I know that it's subjunctive ? I'd switch the verb for an irregular French subjunctive :
- Il faut que tu saches… for example.
Fifty-fifty if the rest of the sentence doesn't work with "savoir", since it'south the "il faut que" that triggers the subjunctive, information technology's enough. A French person should know the rule. But more often than not, we'll rely on tricks to find out the right tense.
Of grade, this doesn't work for foreigners since it's unlikely that you can rely on your French ear… But really y'all may, if you've learned your French language with sound, in context, with my audiobooks for case ;-)
If what I've explained in this article rings a bell, so I encourage you to sample my audiobooks to learn French: click the links below to hear an audio sample, read the description and admission a table of content.
- The A Moi Paris series is a complete French learning method illustrated past a lively novel, to principal both traditional and spoken modernistic French, organized by levels and starting at a true beginner level. This series explains it all: vocabulary, judgement structure, and of course likewise the French tenses, how to build them and when to employ them.
- The French verb drills are a revolutionary method to memorize the French verb forms, main their correct pronunciation and gain speed and confidence when speaking French.
Good luck with your French studies, and recollect, repetition is the key!
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Source: https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-verb-conjugation/secret-to-master-french-verb-conjugation/
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