Learning common French verbs and their conjugations is essential for anyone looking to become proficient in the language. Here is a guide to understanding and practicing several fundamental French verbs.

Être (To be)
Être is one of the most important and frequently used verbs in French. It’s an irregular verb, so it does not follow a regular conjugation pattern.

Je suis (I am)
Tu es (You are – singular/informal)
Il/Elle est (He/She is)
Nous sommes (We are)
Vous êtes (You are – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles sont (They are)

Je suis étudiant en France.

Avoir (To have)
Avoir is another essential verb that is used frequently. It’s an irregular verb, and besides its basic meaning, it’s used in many idiomatic expressions.

J’ai (I have)
Tu as (You have – singular/informal)
Il/Elle a (He/She has)
Nous avons (We have)
Vous avez (You have – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles ont (They have)

Tu as un message sur ton téléphone.

Aller (To go)
Aller is a highly useful verb and it’s irregular too. It’s often used to talk about future actions when combined with an infinitive verb (aller + infinitive = to be going to do something).

Je vais (I go/I am going)
Tu vas (You go/You are going – singular/informal)
Il/Elle va (He/She goes/He/She is going)
Nous allons (We go/We are going)
Vous allez (You go/You are going – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles vont (They go/They are going)

Nous allons au cinéma ce soir.

Faire (To do/make)
Faire is another irregular French verb that is widely used. It can mean both “to do” and “to make.”

Je fais (I do/I make)
Tu fais (You do/You make – singular/informal)
Il/Elle fait (He/She does/He/She makes)
Nous faisons (We do/We make)
Vous faites (You do/You make – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles font (They do/They make)

Elle fait un gâteau pour son anniversaire.

Dire (To say/tell)
Dire is an irregular verb commonly used in conversation for reporting speech and other forms of communication.

Je dis (I say/I tell)
Tu dis (You say/You tell – singular/informal)
Il/Elle dit (He/She says/He/She tells)
Nous disons (We say/We tell)
Vous dites (You say/You tell – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles disent (They say/They tell)

Il dit toujours la vérité.

Pouvoir (To be able to/can)
Pouvoir is a modal verb that needs to be combined with another verb to be complete. Because it is an irregular verb, its conjugation doesn’t follow the typical patterns.

Je peux (I can)
Tu peux (You can – singular/informal)
Il/Elle peut (He/She can)
Nous pouvons (We can)
Vous pouvez (You can – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles peuvent (They can)

Pouvez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît?

Vouloir (To want)
Vouloir is also an important French modal verb and is irregular. It’s often used to express desire or will.

Je veux (I want)
Tu veux (You want – singular/informal)
Il/Elle veut (He/She wants)
Nous voulons (We want)
Vous voulez (You want – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles veulent (They want)

Je veux apprendre le français.

Savoir (To know)
Savoir refers to knowing how to do something or being aware of something. It’s an irregular verb as well.

Je sais (I know)
Tu sais (You know – singular/informal)
Il/Elle sait (He/She knows)
Nous savons (We know)
Vous savez (You know – plural/formal)
Ils/Elles savent (They know)

Nous savons que tu es capable de réussir.

Learning these common French verbs and their conjugations will help you form the backbone of the language and provide a solid foundation for further study and practice. Remember, regular exposure and use will greatly improve your French verb conjugation skills. Bonne chance!