CONJUGATION OF -IR VERBS

About 30 -ir verbs don’t follow the regular -ir conjugation pattern of finir. These are short verbs because
they lack the -iss part of the plural endings that regular -ir verbs have. To conjugate such -ir verbs, the
easiest way is to separate the singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on) from the plural (nous, vous, ils/elles).

Here’s how to conjugate the present tense of short -ir verbs for the je, tu, and il/elle/on forms:

Drop the -ir ending as well as the final consonant before it.

For example, for the verb partir (to leave), you take off -tir, so you’re left with par-.

Now add the ending that fits your subject: -s, -s, or -t.

In the example, you wind up with this: je pars, tu pars, il/elle/on part.

Here’s how to conjugate the present tense of short -ir verbs for the nous, vous, and ils/elles forms:

Drop only the -ir of the infinitive to get the stem.

For example, for the verb partir, you take off -ir, so you’re left with part-.

Now add the ending -ons, -ez, or -ent.

You end up with this: nous partons, vous partez, ils/elles partent.
The following verbs given as an example of the short -ir conjugation, next to a regular -ir verb
conjugation so you can clearly see the missing -iss in the plural . The short -ir verb is partir, and the long
one grandir.

je pars nous partons

tu pars vous partez

il/elle/on part ils/elles partent

je grandis nous grandissons

tu grandis vous grandissez

il/elle/on grandit ils/elles grandissent

Other examples of short -ir verbs include dormir (to sleep), se sentir (to feel), sortir (to go out), and
servir (to serve).

FRENCH -IR VERBS THAT BEHAVE LIKE -ER VERBS

Some -ir verbs behave like -er verbs. To conjugate them, you drop the -ir ending, like you would with a
regular verb like finir. Then you add, well, the regular -er verb endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, and -ent!
Here’s the complete conjugation of one such verb, ouvrir (to open).

j’ouvre nous ouvrons

tu ouvres vous ouvrez

il/elle/on ouvre ils/elles ouvrent

Other verbs of this type include découvrir (to discover), offrir (to offer), and souffrir (to suffer).

THE FRENCH VERBS VENIR AND TENIR

Finally, you meet a special group of verbs: venir (to come), tenir (to hold), and all their siblings (called
compound verbs because they are formed with a prefix + venir or tenir). Such verbs include: se souvenir
(to remember), devenir (to become), revenir (to come back), appartenir (to belong), and soutenir (to
support).
To conjugate these irregular -ir verbs, drop the -enir of the infinitive and replace it with -iens, -iens, -ient,
-enons, -enez, or -iennent. The following tables give you the complete present tense conjugation of venir
and tenir.

je viens nous venons

tu viensvous venez

il/elle/on vient ils/elles viennent

je tiens nous tenons

tu tiens vous tenez

Il/elle/on tient ils/elles tiennent

The je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms have the same stem (-ien + ending), whereas the nous and vous
forms have the same stem as the infinitive (-en).

Common Regular -Ir Verbs in French

Here are the endings for regular -ir verbs in French:

Je – is

Tu – is

Il/Elle – it

Nous – issons

Vous – issez

Ils/Elles – issent

Past Participle – i

To conjugate these regular -ir verbs, just remove the -ir ending and add the ending that fits the subject of
your sentence.
abolir – to abolish

acceuillir – to welcome

accomplir – to accomplish

affaiblir – to weaken

agir – to act

avertir – to warn

bâtir – to build

bénir – to bless

choisir – to choose

embellir – to make beautiful

envahir – to invade

établir – to establish

étourdir – to stun

finir – to finish

franchir – to clear an obstacle

grandir – to grow up

grossir – to gain weight

guérir – to cure

investir – to invest

maigrir – to lose weight

nourrir – to feed

obéir – to obey

punir – to punish

ralentir – to slow down

réfléchir – to reflect

remplir – to fill

réunir – to reunite

réussir – to succeed

rougir – to blush

saisir – to seize

vieillir – to grow old