Regular -re verb conjugation — The No-Nonsense Clinic

You survived -er and -ir. Now -re is the quiet roommate who seems simple until you accidentally call them "vendre" at 3am and realize you know nothing.

We already built the foundation: noun gender and agreement from Essential Grammar I, then tackled present tense patterns for -er and -ir verbs in Essential Grammar II. This lesson plugs -re verbs into that same system. Think of it as the last piece of a three-part trilogy. Same plot: drop the infinitive ending, add present-tense endings. Different villain: those sneaky irregulars (we'll ignore them for now).

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What makes -re verbs regular?

Regular -re verbs follow a predictable pattern in the present tense. The rule is simple:

1. Take the infinitive (example: attendre)
2. Remove -re to get the stem (attend-)
3. Add the present endings for -re verbs

Present tense endings for regular -re verbs

• je: -s
• tu: -s
• il/elle/on: (no ending) — nothing visible, often silent
• nous: -ons
• vous: -ez
• ils/elles: -ent (silent pronunciation)

Code-style conjugation chart for the verb attendre (to wait):

attendre -> stem: attend-
je attends -> j'attends
tu attends
il/elle/on attend
nous attendons
vous attendez
ils/elles attendent

Notice: il/elle/on attend has no extra ending letter after the stem — just like some -ir verbs we saw earlier. And like -er and -ir verbs, the ils/elles form ends in -ent but you pronounce only the stem.

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Quick compare: -er vs -ir vs -re (present endings)

Person	-er endings	-ir endings	-re endings
je	-e	-is	-s
tu	-es	-is	-s
il/elle/on	-e	-it	(∅)
nous	-ons	-issons	-ons
vous	-ez	-issez	-ez
ils/elles	-ent	-issent	-ent

See the pattern? -re verbs often mirror -er verbs at nous/vous/ils forms, but the singular forms differ: jij/tu for -re take -s, il/elle/on has no visible ending.

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Examples with translation and mini-explanations

1. vendre (to sell)

• je vends — I sell / I am selling
• tu vends — you sell
• il vend — he sells (note the silent d)
• nous vendons — we sell
• vous vendez — you sell (formal/plural)
• ils vendent — they sell

Example sentence: "Nous vendons des livres anciens au marché." — We sell old books at the market.

2. répondre (to answer)

• je réponds, tu réponds, il répond, nous répondons, vous répondez, ils répondent

Example sentence: "Est-ce que tu réponds à ce mail?" — Are you answering that email?

3. entendre (to hear)

• j'entends la musique — I hear the music

Tip: When a verb begins with a vowel or mute h, 'je' becomes j' (j'entends), same as with -er/-ir verbs.

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Pronunciation notes (because French is a sneak)

• The written endings -ent (ils/elles) and the missing ending for il/elle/on are usually silent. You pronounce only the stem: ils vendent -> [il vɑ̃d] (you dont pronounce the -ent).
• The nous form often requires liaison: nous vendons -> [nu vɑ̃dɔ̃], the d and the vowel connect smoothly.
• The vous form endings -ez sound like -é (as in the past participle). So vous vendez sounds like [vu vɑ̃de].

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Common pitfalls and irregulars to watch for

• Many verbs that end in -re are irregular (prendre, mettre, rire, suivre, etc.). Those are not regular -re verbs and have their own patterns. For now, focus on verbs like attendre, vendre, descendre, perdre, entendre, répondre.
• Don’t confuse -re regular 3rd-person singular with -it (from -ir) or -e (from -er). For -re you write nothing after the stem.
• Verbs that look regular may have spelling changes to keep pronunciation consistent (e.g., verbs ending in -ger or -cer require a small change in the nous form: manger -> nous mangeons; commencer -> nous commençons). These are orthographic rules we’ll cover next.

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Micro-practice: do these now (because practice is how nervous neurons make friends)

Fill in the present-tense forms of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Je ___ (vendre) mon vélo.
2. Tu ___ (attendre) le bus?
3. Il ___ (répondre) à la question.
4. Nous ___ (entendre) la même chanson.
5. Vous ___ (perdre) souvent vos clés?
6. Ils ___ (descendre) à la gare.

Answers (no peeking... but here they are if you need them):

1. Je vends
2. Tu attends
3. Il répond
4. Nous entendons
5. Vous perdez
6. Ils descendent

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Little strategies to remember -re verbs

• Mnemonic: "Drop the RE, add the S pair (je/tu), nothing for il, add ONS/EZ/ENT." Say it out loud like a chant: "Drop the RE, add the S pair." Weird, but it works.
• Relate to -er/-ir: compare conjugations side by side for the same person to spot differences — this builds intuition faster than memorizing lists.
• Watch for irregular friends. If a verb feels like it’s doing the tango instead of the straight walk, it’s irregular. Flag it and come back later.

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Final pep talk

You now know the regular -re present tense routine: snip the -re, add the endings, mind the silent letters, and watch for special spelling rules. Put this into a few real sentences — describe what you or your friends are doing right now with vendre, attendre, répondre, entendre — and you’ll lock it in. Go forth and conjugate like the slightly intimidating, charming futur francophone you are.

"Conjugate today, impress someone tomorrow." — Probably me, making up quotes again.