French Verbs

Definition: The verb is maybe the most important part of the sentence. A verb is a word that describes an action or mental or physical state. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and express actions, events, or states of being. The verb or compound verb is the critical element of the predicate of a sentence.

Tenses and Moods

French verbs can be formed in four moods, each of which express a unique feeling. Each mood has a varying number of tenses, which indicate the time when an action takes place.

Infinitives

The infinitive form of the verb will be used to identify it. In English, the infinitive form is to "Verb". In French, the infinitive is one word. For example, parler translates to to speak, finir translates to to finish, and aller translates to "to go".

Verb conjugation

French verbs conjugate, which means they take different shapes depending on the subject. English verbs only have one conjugation; that is the third person singular (I see, you see, he/she sees, we see, they see). The only exception is the verb "to be" (I am; (thou art); you are; he/she is; we are; they are;). Similar cases occur in Spanish verbs, like the Ser Conjugation, one of the most used verbs in that language. Most French verbs will conjugate into many different forms. Most verbs are regular, which means that they conjugate in the same way. The most common verbs, however, are irregular.

Examples in French

  • accomplir - to accomplish
  • bâtir - to build
  • choisir - to choose
  • embellir - to make beautiful
  • envahir - to invade
  • finir - to finish
  • perdre - to lose
  • rendre - to render
  • répandre - to spread
  • répondre - to answer
  • tendre - to tighten
  • vendre - to sell



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