Semi-regular -cer and -ger verbs
Nous mangeons, nous commençons
Some -er verbs are regular apart from one spelling change, which keeps the pronunciation consistent.
-ger verbs: add e before -ons
In French, g + a/o/u sounds hard (like go), and g + e/i sounds soft (like the s in measure). To keep the soft sound in nous mangeons, we add an e:
- manger → nous mangeons
- nager → nous nageons
- voyager → nous voyageons
- changer, partager, ranger, bouger, corriger
-cer verbs: c becomes ç before -ons
c + a/o/u sounds like k, c + e/i sounds like s. To keep the s sound, the c takes a cedilla: ç.
- commencer → nous commençons
- lancer → nous lançons
- placer, avancer, annoncer, prononcer, menacer
- Nous mangeons à huit heures.We eat at eight.
- Nous commençons demain.We start tomorrow.
Only before a or o
In the present tense, only the nous form changes. The others are regular: je mange, vous mangez, ils commencent.
You'll see the same change again whenever an ending starts with a or o, for example in the imperfect: je mangeais, il commençait (see Imparfait).
Practice
- Nous _____ des pâtes. (manger)
Show the answer
mangeons
- Nous _____ la leçon. (commencer)
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commençons
- Nous _____ dans la mer. (nager)
Show the answer
nageons
- Nous _____ beaucoup. (voyager)Options: voyageons · voyagons · voyagions
Show the answer
voyageons
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.