Regular -ir verbs – present tense
Finir: je finis, nous finissons…
The second group of regular verbs ends in -ir and adds -iss- in the plural. Common ones: finir, choisir, réussir, grandir, réfléchir, remplir, obéir, rougir, maigrir, grossir.
Conjugation
| ending | finir (to finish) | |
|---|---|---|
| je | -is | je finis |
| tu | -is | tu finis |
| il / elle / on | -it | il finit |
| nous | -issons | nous finissons |
| vous | -issez | vous finissez |
| ils / elles | -issent | ils finissent |
- Je finis à 17 heures.I finish at 5 pm.
- Tu choisis quel film ?Which film are you choosing?
- Nous réfléchissons.We're thinking (it over).
- Les enfants grandissent vite.Children grow up fast.
Pronunciation
Finis, finis, finit all sound the same (fini). In the plural, you hear the ss: finissons, finissez, finissent (where -ent is silent but the ss is pronounced).
Not every -ir verb is regular
Several very common -ir verbs follow other patterns and don't add -iss-:
- partir, sortir, dormir, sentir, servir: je pars, nous partons (Partir, sortir, dormir)
- venir, tenir: je viens (Venir, tenir)
- ouvrir, offrir, souffrir: conjugated like -er verbs (j'ouvre)
Many adjectives become -ir verbs: rouge → rougir (to blush), grand → grandir (to grow), maigre → maigrir (to lose weight).
Practice
- Je _____ mon travail. (finir)
Show the answer
finis
- Il _____ un livre. (choisir)
Show the answer
choisit
- Nous _____ toujours. (réussir)
Show the answer
réussissons
- Vous _____ à quelle heure ? (finir)
Show the answer
finissez
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.