Verbs in French: Check Out The List of Common French Verbs

First of all, congratulations on taking this gigantic step to sharpen your French. The knowledge of verbs in French will greatly boost your speaking and writing skills in this language. So, in this blog, we will provide you with a list of common verbs in this beautiful dialect. Moreover, we will go on to talk about their types and check your knowledge with a quiz. Now, fasten your seatbelt as we journey to the world of verbs in French, piercing through every cloud of doubt that comes our way. 

What are Verbs? 

Verbs in French or les verbes (verbs) are words that indicate an action that a sentence’s subject (a noun/pronoun) performs. They also describe concepts, processes, states and thoughts besides physical actions. In French, we classify verbs by their grammatical function in a sentence or as per their use in mood and tense.

Also Read: 50+ Basic French Language Words You Need to Know Before Getting Started

List of Common French Verbs

We hope you have received a good overview of the French verbs by now. It’s time to check out the list of common verbs in the language. 

• Être – to be
• Faire – to do, to make
• Avoir – to have
• Aller – to go
• Dire – to say, to tell
• Voir – to see
• Pouvoir – can, to be able to
• Devoir – must, to have to
• Vouloir – to want
• Savoir – to know

Types of Verbs in French

The verbs in French can be primarily divided into two types: action verbs (les verbes d’action) and stative verbs (les verbes d’état). Now, let’s look at these categories in detail:

1. Les verbes d’action (action verbs): These verbs indicate subject’s act or an activity in a sentence. In other words, action verbs express a one-time event or an ongoing action. Some of the most common French action verbs are faire, marcher, bouger, jardiner, manger, écouter, nager, regarder, discuter, apprendre, donner, acheter, partager, chercher, trouver, etc.
2. Les verbes d’état (stative verbs): They indicate a particular characteristic of the subject. Stative verbs demonstrate a state change or the thing’s/person’s transformation into something else, and the state or manner of being. Some of the examples of stative French verbs are être, sembler, paraître, demeurer, rester, devenir, avoir l’air, and passer pour.

Also Read: French Education System

Quiz on Common French Verbs

Now that you understand the concept, let’s put your knowledge to the test. Answer the questions below to get a good revision of what you have learnt so far. All the best!

Q1 – True or False: In French, we classify verbs by their grammatical function in a sentence or as per the mood and tense in which they are used.

Q2 – Fill in the Blank: Les verbes (verbs) are  _________ words.

Q3 – Match the following French verbs with their correct meaning in English:

a) Être	1. to do, to make
b) Faire	2. to be
c) Avoir	3. to go
d) Aller	4. to have

Q4 – True or False: Apart from physical actions, verbs can also describe concepts, processes, states and thoughts. 

Answers: A1 – True, A2 – doing, A3 – a): 2; b): 1; c): 4; d) 3, A4 – True

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And we are done with the verbs in French for today. Explore Leverage Edu’s study abroad resources for more educative blogs on the French language daily. Ready, set, lingo!