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Verbs with infinitives ending in -ir form a second group of regular verbs in French,
often called 'second conjugation' verbs. To conjugate these verbs, drop the
-ir from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings:
-is,
-is,
-it,
-issons,
-issez,
-issent.
The singular and plural forms of the third person are clearly distinguishable (finit vs.finissent).
Listen to the difference.
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| finir 'to finish' |
| je finis |
nous finissons |
| tu finis |
vous finissez |
| il/elle/on finit |
ils/elles finissent |
| past participle : fini |
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Here is a list of other common -ir verbs:
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| choisir, to choose |
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maigrir, to lose weight |
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réfléchir, to think, reflect |
| établir, to establish |
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mincir, to get slimmer |
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réunir, to get together, assemble |
| grandir, to grow (up) |
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obéir (à quelqu'un), to obey (someone) |
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réussir (à), to succeed (at) |
| grossir, to gain weight |
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réagir, to react |
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vieillir, to grow old |
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Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern,however.
Irregular -ir verbs include ouvrir,
partir, sortir, and dormir.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following dialogue.
In particular, note the difference in the pronunciation of one s (pronounced as /z/) and two ss
(pronounced as /s/) in the verb 'choisir.'
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Tex et Tammy réunissent des copains ce soir. |
Tex and Tammy are getting friends together this evening. |
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Tammy: Quel vin tu choisis, Tex? |
Tammy: What wine do you choose, Tex? |
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Tex réfléchit un moment, et puis il choisit un bon vin rouge. |
Tex reflects a moment and then he chooses a good red wine. |
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Tex: Nous choisissons toujours du rouge. C'est bon pour la santé. |
Tex: We always choose red (wine). It's good for (one's) health. |
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