Most Used Irregular Verbs in French and How to Conjugate Them?

To be honest, irregular verbs in French are similar to jalebis. They turn and twist and just when you think you understand them, there’s another turn in store. They can first be puzzling since, unlike conventional verbs, they don’t always adhere to a single, straightforward rule. However, if you get the patterns, learning them becomes lot simpler. So let’s learn the irregular verbs with this blog and show off what we’ve learned at the end through a quiz.

Key Takeaways

• Learn the most common uses of irregular verbs in the French language, and also explore how to conjugate them.
• There are common patterns and categories of words, such as Je prends, Tu prends, Nous prenons, Ils prennent, etc.
• Know the conjugation of irregular verbs in French, such as Être (to be), Avoir (to have), Aller (to go), Faire (to do/make), and more.
• Here, you can learn tips for learning French irregular verbs and also understand the basic mistakes and how to avoid them.
• You can learn more essential irregular verbs, such as Pouvoir (to be able to), Vouloir (to want), Devoir (to have to/must), Savoir (to know), etc.

What are Irregular Verbs?

Regular verbs differ slightly from irregular verbs. Their ends might change depending on the subject or tense, and they don’t always adhere to the principles we learn for regular verbs. This is what initially confuses them. But don’t try to memorize every single verb as a completely new word. Look for patterns and study related verbs together. It will be lot simpler to follow.

Common Patterns and Categories

Even though they’re irregular, many French verbs fall into recognizable groups based on shared conjugation patterns.

• Group 1 – the big four: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go) and faire (to do/make) are the most notoriously used and frequent irregular verbs in the language.
• Group 2 – verbs that share a pattern: venir (to come) and tenir (to hold) conjugate alike and so do prendre (to take), apprendre (to learn) and comprendre (to understand).
• Group 3 – verbs with irregular past participles: voir becomes vu, prendre becomes pris , forms you simply have to learn by heart. 

You can predict irregularities more easily by spotting these patterns and remember verbs in groups rather than one at a time. Easy right? let’s dive in more.

Common Conjugation of Key French Irregular Verbs

Now, let’s pay attention to the verbs that come up the most often in real conversation, starting with the four every French learner meets first, followed by the rest.

Let’s tackle some of the most common irregular verbs – Être, Avoir, Aller, Venir, Faire, Voir, and Prendre:

1. Être (to be)

Ask any French Maestro which verb to learn first and you’ll be greeted with the same answer: être. It means “to be” and because it doubles as the auxiliary for so many compound tenses, you can’t get far in French without it. It really is the bread in our sandwiches.

Spotted usually when:

• Describing who or what someone/something is
• Talking about nationality, profession or characteristics
• Forming the passé composé for verbs of movement and reflexive verbs
• Expressing location or condition (temporary or permanent)

Irregular pattern to remember:

Être has no shared stem across its forms at all : suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont don’t follow any regular pattern, which is why it’s usually the very first irregular verb students have to memorize by heart.

Examples:

• Je suis professeure de français.  –  I am a French teacher.
• Nous sommes en retard.  –  We are late.
• Tu étais fatigué hier soir.  –  You were tired last night.

Expressions:

• Être en train de + infinitif – to be in the middle of doing something
• Être d’accord – to agree
• C’est la vie – that’s life

2. Avoir (to have)

Avoir means “to have” simple enough on its own but it has a superpower, which comes from its second job which is forming the ‘passé composé’ for the vast majority of French verbs. Even verbs are multitasking in this era.

Mostly used when:

• Talking about possession or relationships (j’ai un frère)
• Describing age (j’ai 25 ans)
• Forming the passé composé for the majority of verbs
• Common expressions describing physical states (avoir faim, avoir soif)

Irregular pattern to remember:

The present tense stem changes almost every line (ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont), and because avoir is also its own auxiliary, its past participle eu appears inside its own passé composé.

Examples:

• J’ai deux chats et un chien.  –  I have two cats and a dog.
• Nous avons eu de la chance.  –  We got lucky (had luck).
• Vous avez faim ?  –  Are you hungry?

Expressions:

• Avoir besoin de – to need
• Avoir peur – to be afraid
• Avoir raison / tort – to be right / wrong

3. Aller (to go)

Aller means “to go,” but ask a Francophone how they’re doing and you’ll hear this verb again in ‘comment ça va,’ it’s genuinely everywhere in daily conversation, not just for movement.

Commonly used when:

• Describing movement toward a place
• Talking about health (comment ça va ?)
• Forming the near future: aller + infinitive (je vais manger – I’m going to eat)
• Giving directions

Irregular pattern to remember:

Aller borrows its future stem (ir-) from an entirely different root than its present tense (vais, vas, va), and it takes être rather than avoir in the passé composé, with the past participle agreeing in gender and number.

Examples:

• Je vais à l’école tous les jours.  –  I go to school every day.
• Nous allons manger au restaurant ce soir.  –  We’re going to eat at a restaurant tonight.
• Elle est allée à Paris l’année dernière.  –  She went to Paris last year.

Expressions:

• Ça va ? – How’s it going?
• Aller bien / mal – to be doing well / badly
• Allons-y ! – Let’s go!

4. Faire (to do/make)

It covers “to do” and “to make, only a few verbs pull as much weight as faire that you’ll also meet it in weather talk, sports and most of the chores you’ll ever complain about, juggling various roles.

Frequently used when:

• Talking about activities and chores (faire les courses, faire du sport)
• Describing weather (il fait beau)
• Talking about hobbies and sports
• General “doing” or “making” something

Irregular pattern to remember:

Pay attention, the ‘nous’ form faisons is pronounced “fuh-zon,” not following the spelling pattern you’d expect and vous faites breaks from the regular -ez ending entirely, making us learn a new thing everyday.

Examples:

• Je fais mes devoirs le soir.  –  I do my homework in the evening.
• Il fait très chaud aujourd’hui.  –  It’s very hot today.
• Vous faites du yoga ?  –  Do you do yoga?

Expressions:

• Faire attention – to pay attention
• Faire de son mieux – to do one’s best
• Faire la queue – to stand in line

5. Venir (to come)

Heading up a small family of verbs, Venir means “to come,” and it’s family includes – tenir, devenir, revenir , that all conjugate the same way once you’ve familiarized yourself with this pattern.

Spotted generally when:

• Describing arrival or origin (je viens de l’Inde)
• Forming venir de + infinitive to express a recently completed action
• Invitations and plans (tu viens avec nous ?)

Irregular pattern to pay head to:

The stem doubles its final consonant in the ils/elles form (viennent), a pattern shared by every verb in the -enir family and it takes être in the passé composé.

Examples:

• Je viens de Delhi.  –  I come from Delhi.
• Elle vient d’arriver.  –  She just arrived.
• Ils viennent souvent nous voir.  –  They often come to see us.

Expressions:

• Venir de + infinitif – to have just done something
• D’où venez-vous ? – Where do you come from?

6. Voir (to see)

Like in English, it stretches beyond eyesight . Voir means “to see” and say’ je vois’ and you’re just as likely to mean “I understand” as “I can see it.”

Commonly used when:

• Describing what you see or observe
• Making plans to meet someone (on se voit demain)
• Expressing understanding (je vois ce que tu veux dire)

Irregular pattern to remember:

The stem shifts from voi- to voy- before -ons and -ez and the future tense switches entirely to verr-, a completely different root from the present tense.

Examples:

• Je vois un oiseau dans l’arbre.  –  I see a bird in the tree.
• Nous voyons nos amis ce week-end.  –  We’re seeing our friends this weekend.
• Tu as vu ce film ?  –  Did you see that movie?
• On se verra la semaine prochaine.  –  We’ll see each other next week.

Expressions:

• Voir venir – to see something coming
• Ça n’a rien à voir – that has nothing to do with it

7. Prendre (to take)

Whether you’re catching the metro or ordering a coffee, prendre (“to take”) shows up constantly in daily French.

Commonly used when:

• Taking transportation (prendre le bus, le train)
• Ordering food or drinks (je prends un café)
• Making decisions (prendre une décision)

Irregular pattern to remember:

The nous and vous forms drop the “d” (prenons, prenez), while ils/elles doubles the “n” instead (prennent) – a pattern also found in apprendre and comprendre.

Examples:

• Elle prend un café au lait.  –  She’s having a coffee with milk.
• Nous avons pris une bonne décision.  –  We made a good decision.
• Ils prennent leurs vacances en juillet.  –  They take their vacation in July.

Expressions:

• Prendre son temps – to take one’s time
• Prendre soin de – to take care of

8. Dire (to say/tell)

The verb you’ll reach for anytime you’re reporting what someone said, gossiping or sharing your own opinion. Dire means “to say” or “to tell.”

Commonly heard when:

• Reporting what someone said
• Giving opinions (je dis que…)
• Asking someone to repeat or clarify

Irregular pattern to remember:

Look out for the ‘vous’ form closely ‘vous dites’, not the expected vous disez, which is one of the most commonly mis-conjugated forms among learners.

Examples:

• Je dis toujours la vérité.  – I always tell the truth.
• Qu’est-ce que tu dis ?  – What are you saying?
• Elle a dit qu’elle arriverait à midi.  – She said she would arrive at noon.

Expressions:

• C’est-à-dire – that is to say
• Dire du bien / du mal de quelqu’un – to speak well/badly of someone
• Vouloir dire – to mean

9. Lire (to read)

Most probably every French learner meets early often with this verb while trying to saying out loud their very first French sentence. Lire which means to read is another such super star amongst the verb forms.

Spotted using when:

• Talking about reading habits and hobbies
• Describing reading for school or work
• Discussing books, articles, or news

Irregular pattern to remember:

The singular forms (lis, lis, lit) drop the final consonant entirely, while the plural forms add an “s” before the ending (lisons, lisez, lisent) a pattern shared with verbs like écrire’s cousin verbs.

Examples:

• Je lis un roman en ce moment.  –  I’m reading a novel right now.
• Elle lit le journal chaque matin.  – She reads the newspaper every morning.
• Nous avons lu ce livre l’année dernière.  –  We read this book last year.

Expressions:

• Lire entre les lignes – to read between the lines
• Lire à voix haute – to read aloud

10. Écrire (to write)

From a quick text message to a formal email, écrire (“to write”) covers nearly every kind of written communication in French.

Frequently used when:

• Writing emails, messages and notes
• Talking about writing as a skill or hobby
• Academic and professional writing

Irregular pattern to remember:

The plural forms insert a “v” that’s absent from the singular (j’écris vs. nous écrivons), the same stem-expansion pattern found in lire and dire.

Examples:

• J’écris un article pour le blog.  – I’m writing an article for the blog.
• Nous avons écrit une lettre à nos amis.  –  We wrote a letter to our friends.
• Elle écrira son mémoire cet été.  – She will write her thesis this summer.

Expressions:

• Écrire à la main – to write by hand
• Écrire un courriel – to write an email

11. Naître (to be born)

Naître means “to be born,” and you’ll almost never meet it outside the passé composé it’s simply not a verb people use to talk about the present moment.

Rarely, but used when:

• Stating birth dates and places
• Talking about family history
• Describing where someone is from originally

Irregular pattern to remember:

Naître uses être as its auxiliary, so the past participle né must agree in gender and number with the subject (née for a woman, nés/nées for plurals).

Examples:

• Elle est née à Mumbai.  – She was born in Mumbai.
• Où es-tu né ?  –  Where were you born?

Expressions:

• Naître sous une bonne étoile – to be born under a lucky star

12. Mourir (to die)

French speakers reach for it the same way English speakers say “I’m dying of hunger’; though the verb ‘Mourir’ means “to die.”

Commonly heard when:

• Discussing death in a literal sense
• Idiomatic expressions of extreme feeling (je meurs de faim)
• Historical or biographical writing

Irregular pattern to remember:

Like naître, mourir takes être in the passé composé with the past participle mort agreeing in gender and number, and its future stem doubles the “r” (mourrai), which is easy to mishear as the present tense.

Examples:

• Il est mort en 2010.  –  He died in 2010.
• Je meurs de faim !  –  I’m starving! (literally: I’m dying of hunger)

Expressions:

• Mourir de rire – to die laughing
• Mourir d’ennui – to be bored to death

13. Pouvoir (to be able to/can)

Your go to verb for permission, ability, and possibility ; three different ideas, one verb- Pouvoir which elaborates to “to be able to” or “can”

Commonly used when:

• Asking for permission (puis-je… ?)
• Expressing capability (je peux nager)
• Talking about possibility (il peut pleuvoir)

Irregular pattern to remember:

The stem changes from peu- in the singular to pouv- in the nous/vous forms and peuv- in the plural and the formal question form uses puis-je rather than peux-je.

Examples:

• Je peux t’aider si tu veux.  –  I can help you if you want.
• Puis-je vous poser une question ?  –  May I ask you a question?
• Nous avons pu finir à temps.  –  We were able to finish on time.

Expressions:

• Il se peut que + subjonctif – it’s possible that
• N’en plus pouvoir – to not be able to take it anymore

14. Savoir (to know)

Savoir means “to know” but only facts, information or skills. Mix it up with connaître (which covers people and places) and native speakers will notice immediately.

Spotted in use when:

• Knowing facts or information (je sais que…)
• Knowing how to do something (savoir + infinitif)
• Contrasted with connaître for people/places

Irregular pattern to remember:

The most common mix-up: use savoir for facts and skills (je sais nager – I know how to swim) and connaître for people and places (je connais Paris)- the two verbs are never interchangeable.

Examples:

• Je sais parler français et anglais.  –  I know how to speak French and English.
• Tu sais où est la gare ?  –  Do you know where the station is?
• Nous avons su la nouvelle hier.  –  We found out the news yesterday.

Expressions:

• Je ne sais pas – I don’t know
• Autant que je sache – As far as I know

15. Devoir (to have to/must)

Devoir shifts meaning with context , it can mean “must,” “have to” or even “probably,” all depending on the sentence around it.

Commonly used when:

• Expressing obligation (je dois partir)
• Talking about debts (je te dois de l’argent)
• Expressing probability (il doit être tard)

Irregular pattern to remember:

The past participle dû carries a circumflex accent to distinguish it in writing from the partitive article du, and the conditional form (je devrais) softens obligation into advice rather than a strong requirement.

Examples:

• Je dois finir ce projet aujourd’hui.  –  I must finish this project today.
• Tu devrais te reposer un peu.  –  You should rest a little.
• Nous avons dû annuler la réunion.  –  We had to cancel the meeting.

Expressions:

• Devoir + infinitif – must / have to do something
• Je te dois combien ? – How much do I owe you?

16. Vouloir (to want)

Vouloir means “to want,” and its conditional form, je voudrais, might be the single most useful phrase for polite requests in French.

Frequently used when:

• Expressing what you want (je veux…)
• Making polite requests with je voudrais
• Expressing wishes and intentions

Irregular pattern to remember:

Je voudrais (the conditional form) is far more polite than je veux for requests, much like “I would like” versus “I want” in English and the future/conditional stem voudr- differs from the present veux/voulons entirely.

Examples:

• Je veux apprendre le français.  –  I want to learn French.
• Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.  –  I would like a coffee, please.

Expressions:

• Vouloir dire – to mean
• Vouloir bien – to be willing to
• Sans le vouloir – unintentionally

Tips for Learning French Irregular Verbs

• Memorization techniques: Use flashcards, create mnemonic devices, or group verbs by patterns as advised above.
• Practice regularly: Consistent exposure is key. Incorporate irregular verbs into conversations, writing exercises, and listening practice. You can also try to make sentences with different irregular verbs regularly. 
• Utilise resources: Explore language learning apps, textbooks dedicated to irregular verbs and online courses (hyperlink this to land on the upcoming batches page)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Confusing similar-sounding verbs: être and avoir are often mixed up. Practice using them in context.
  I.e Etre with adjectives and Avoir with the nouns to understand the difference in the usage. 
• Overlooking irregular past participles: Pay attention to the unique forms of verbs. 
• Not practising enough: This goes without saying, Irregular verbs are definitely difficult, but not practising them regularly can make its assimilation eleven more difficult. 

To prevent these errors use reliable resources for conjugations and practice. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is the passé composé formed for irregular verbs?

Ans: Most use avoir plus a past participle; a smaller group uses être instead. Avoir verbs: j’ai fait (I did), j’ai pris (I took). Être verbs (movement/state): aller, venir, naître, mourir , these also require gender/number agreement. Past participles are often irregular too: fait, pris, vu, dit.

2. How many irregular verbs are there in French?

Ans: Several hundred, counting every derivative but you only need about 15–20 to speak confidently. Derivatives like revenir (from venir) and décrire (from écrire) inflate the total count, A core set of high-frequency verbs covers most real conversation. This blog, hence focuses on that core set, not the full list

3. Why are some French verbs irregular?

Ans: They’re usually the oldest, most used verbs in the language, and heavy use over centuries wore down their regular forms. Frequently spoken words change faster than rarely used ones . Regular verbs, used less often, kept their predictable pattern . English does the same thing: “to be” (am, is, are) vs. “to walk” (walked, walking). The best way to learn is through a fun, activities filled practice session which La Forêt French Class offers in it’s classes.