Regular -ir verbs in the present tense

Key points

Another group of verbs in French end in -ir.
To form the present tense of -ir verbs, take off the -ir and add -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.

In the last unit we looked at conjugating verbs which end in –er. These are called regular verbs because so many verbs follow this pattern.

There is also a smaller group of regular verbs which end in -ir. The verb finir (which means to finish) is an –ir verb and in the present tense it conjugates like this:

Table 5.1a: -ir verbs
finir to finish
je	finis
tu	finis
il / elle	finit
nous	finissons
vous	finissez
ils / elles	finissent

Note

Not all verbs ending –ir are regular verbs. For example partir, which means to leave, is an irregular verb: I leave is je pars in French, not je partis.

As with –er verbs, the ending –s and –ent are never pronounced. Here are some examples of sentences containing -ir verbs:

Elle choisit la robe blanche

She chooses the white dress

Il finit le travail à cinq heures trente

He finishes work at five-thirty

Elles réussissent toujours leurs examens

They always pass their exams

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