Top 20 Most Important French Verbs

Let’s cover in-depth an essential and valuable topic in French: the three groups of French verbs and the top 20 most commonly used verbs to help you express opinions and discuss your daily routine.

Understanding the Three Groups of French Verbs

French verbs are categorized into three groups based on their conjugation patterns. It is very useful to know which group a verb belongs to because this will help you conjugate a verb correctly. Here’s a quick overview:

1. First Group: Verbs ending in -er, like aimer (to love). These are the most common and follow a predictable conjugation pattern.
2. Second Group: Verbs ending in -ir, where the plural forms in present simple include a  double s, like choisir (to choose): nous choisissons, vous choisissez, ils choisissent. These are regular and easy to conjugate.
3. Third Group: All other verbs, including irregular ones. They often end in -re, -ir, or -oir, like boire (to drink), partir (to leave), avoir (to have) but also aller (to go). Learning these verbs requires more memorization and practice.

Top 20 Most Common French Verbs

Now, let’s explore the 20 most commonly used verbs in French, listed in alphabetical order with their groups. For each verb, we’ll provide two examples to show how they can be used in everyday conversation.

1) Aimer (to love) – First Group

• Nous aimons la langue française. (We love the French language.)
• Elle aime les films romantiques. (She loves romantic movies.)

2) Aller (to go) – Third Group

• Nous allons à Paris en décembre. (We’re going to Paris in December.)
• Je vais au marché tous les matins. (I go to the market every morning.)

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3) Avoir (to have) – Third Group

• Tu as un frère et ils ont deux sœurs. (You have a brother, and they have two sisters.)
• Nous avons beaucoup de travail aujourd’hui. (We have a lot of work today.)

4) Choisir (to choose) – Second Group

• Nous choisissons son cadeau de Noël. (We’re choosing his Christmas present.)
• Elle choisit toujours le meilleur restaurant. (She always chooses the best restaurant.)

5) Devoir (to have to) – Third Group

• Vous devez prendre rendez-vous chez le dentiste. (You have to make an appointment with the dentist.)
• Je dois étudier pour l’examen. (I have to study for the exam.)

6) Dire (to say/to tell) – Third Group

• Qu’est-ce que vous dites ? (What are you saying?)
• Ils disent toujours la vérité. (They always tell the truth.)

7) Donner (to give) – First Group

• Elle ne donne jamais son avis. (She never gives her opinion.)
• Je donne un cadeau à mon ami. (I’m giving a gift to my friend.)

8) Être (to be) – Third Group

• Je suis française. Elle est allemande. Vous êtes pakistanais. (I’m French. She’s German. You are Pakistani.)
• Nous sommes très occupés aujourd’hui. (We are very busy today.)

9) Faire (to do/to make) – Third Group

• Qu’est-ce que vous faites ce week-end ? (What are you doing this weekend?)
• Elle fait un gâteau pour la fête. (She’s making a cake for the party.)

10) Finir (to finish) – Second Group

• Vous finissez à quelle heure ce soir ? (What time do you finish tonight?)
• Je finis toujours mon travail à temps. (I always finish my work on time.)

11) Manger (to eat) – First Group

• Nous mangeons beaucoup de fruits. (We eat a lot of fruit.)
• Ils mangent au restaurant chaque vendredi. (They eat at the restaurant every Friday.)

12) Mettre (to put) – Third Group

• Il met ses chaussures et vous mettez votre manteau. (He’s putting on his shoes, and you’re putting on your coat.)
• Je mets toujours du sucre dans mon café. (I always put sugar in my coffee.)

13) Partir (to leave) – Third Group

• Ils partent demain matin. (They’re leaving tomorrow morning.)
• Nous partons en vacances la semaine prochaine. (We’re leaving on vacation next week.)

14) Pouvoir (can/to be able to) – Third Group

• Est-ce que vous pouvez ouvrir la fenêtre, s’il vous plaît ? (Can you please open the window?)
• Je peux parler français couramment. (I can speak French fluently.)

15) Prendre (to take) – Third Group

• Je ne prends jamais l’avion. Ils prennent le train pour voyager. (I never take the plane. They take the train to travel.)
• Nous prenons le déjeuner à midi. (We have lunch at noon.)

16) Savoir (to know) – Third Group

• Je ne sais pas du tout. (I don’t know at all.)
• Elle sait jouer du piano. (She knows how to play the piano.)

17) Sortir (to go out) – Third Group

• Vous sortez ce soir ? (Are you going out tonight?)
• Ils sortent toujours ensemble le samedi. (They always go out together on Saturdays.)

18) Venir (to come) – Third Group

• Ils viennent avec nous. Tu viens aussi ? (They’re coming with us. Are you coming too?)
• Elle vient toujours aux réunions. (She always comes to meetings.)

19) Voir (to see) – Third Group

• Vous voyez ce que je veux dire ? (Do you see what I mean?)
• Je vois les montagnes depuis ma fenêtre. (I see the mountains from my window.)

29) Vouloir (to want) – Third Group

• Vous voulez un café ? (Do you want a coffee?)
• Ils veulent partir plus tôt. (They want to leave earlier.)

Conclusion

This overview of the 20 most common French verbs should provide you with a strong foundation to express your ideas, share your daily routines, and take part in your first conversations in French. By practicing their conjugations and using them in sentences, you’ll notice how often they come up in everyday interactions.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Use these verbs daily, and you’ll soon be mastering French like a pro.