Verbs
-ir verbs (regular) present tense
Verbs with infinitives ending in -ir form a second group of regular verbs in French, often called ‘second conjugation’ verbs. To conjugate these verbs, drop the -ir from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The singular and plural forms of the third person are clearly distinguishable (finit vs.finissent). Listen to the difference.
| finir ‘to finish’ | |
| je finis | nous finissons |
| tu finis | vous finissez |
| il/elle/on finit | ils/elles finissent |
| past participle : fini | |
Here is a list of other common -ir verbs:
| choisir | to choose |
| établir | to establish |
| grandir | to grow (up) |
| grossir | to gain weight |
| maigrir | to lose weight |
| mincir | to get slimmer |
| obéir (à quelqu’un) | to obey (someone) |
| réagir | to react |
| réfléchir | to think, reflect |
| réunir | to get together, assemble |
| réussir (à) | to succeed (at) |
| vieillir | to grow old |
Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern, however. Irregular -ir verbs include ouvrir, partir, sortir, and dormir.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following dialogue. In particular, note the difference in the pronunciation of one s (pronounced as /z/) and two ss (pronounced as /s/) in the verb ‘choisir.‘
| Tex et Tammy réunissent des copains ce soir. | Tex and Tammy are getting friends together this evening. |
| Tammy: Quel vin tu choisis, Tex? | Tammy: What wine do you choose, Tex? |
| Tex réfléchit un moment, et puis il choisit un bon vin rouge. | Tex reflects a moment and then he chooses a good red wine. |
| Tex: Nous choisissons toujours du rouge. C’est bon pour la santé. | Tex: We always choose red (wine). It’s good for (one’s) health. |
Listening Comprehension:
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