Why French Verbs Aren’t as Scary as You Think
Introduction: Meet the Monster (Then Shrink It Down)
When most people begin learning French, there comes a moment—usually early on—when their enthusiasm meets its first major speed bump. It happens the moment they open their textbook or app and see this:
Je suis
Tu es
Il/elle est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/elles sont
"Wait," they say, blinking. "Is that all the same verb? Why are there six versions of one word?" Suddenly, French verbs feel like a horror story with shifting shapes, irregular endings, and endless exceptions. For many learners, verbs become a source of dread. Conjugation tables haunt their dreams. The imperfect tense sounds ironic. The subjunctive might as well be a cryptic spell.
What’s worse is the way it’s often taught. You’re handed a sheet full of verb charts, told to memorize all the forms for every subject pronoun, and then drilled through lists of tenses you don’t yet know how to use. It feels mechanical, confusing, and intimidating. It’s easy to start believing the myth: that French verbs are inherently difficult, illogical, or only for people with a photographic memory.
But here’s the truth: French verbs are not as scary as they seem. In fact, once you break through the fear, you’ll find a system that is beautifully structured, predictable in many ways, and rich with expressive power. Verbs are where French starts to sing. They’re the engine of the language—the part that brings everything to life. And contrary to the drama of conjugation charts, mastering them doesn’t require a supernatural gift or decades of study.
You might be surprised to learn that French verbs are full of patterns. They follow families. They share endings. And in spoken French—your real goal—they’re often simpler than what’s written on paper. In fact, many verb forms that look different in writing are pronounced exactly the same. So the challenge is often more visual than practical.
Let’s also not forget: this isn’t your first rodeo with verbs. If you speak English, you already know how to handle verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, irregulars, and even things like the subjunctive (yes, really: “If I were you…”). You’ve done this before. French just uses different packaging.
And perhaps the most important secret? You don’t need to know every verb or every tense to speak well. You only need a few key ones to express most of your ideas. From there, it becomes about layering—not perfection.
In this article, we’re going to unmask the so-called monster. You’ll learn how to look at French verbs logically, build confidence with patterns, and focus on what really matters for everyday use. We’ll also dispel a few myths along the way. If you've been scared off by verb tables before, this is your invitation back in. With a few practical tricks and the right perspective, you might even start to enjoy them.
So take a breath. Drop the fear. Let’s turn this grammar bogeyman into something manageable—maybe even lovable.
1. Most French Verbs Are Regular (Really!)
Let’s start with a comforting fact: most French verbs follow regular patterns. Yes, there are irregulars (we’ll get to those), but the majority of verbs belong to three main families:
-ER verbs (aimer, parler, chanter)
-IR verbs (finir, choisir, réussir)
-RE verbs (attendre, vendre, perdre)
If you learn the endings for these three groups in the present tense, you can instantly conjugate hundreds of verbs. Here’s an example using parler (to speak):
Je parle
Tu parles
Il/elle parle
Nous parlons
Vous parlez
Ils/elles parlent
See that? One stem (parl-) and six predictable endings. It’s the same logic for aimer, danser, regarder, travailler, and so many more. Once you internalize the rhythm of these endings, you can plug in almost any new -ER verb and go.
Tip: Focus on mastering regular -ER verbs first. They're over 90% of all verbs in spoken French!
2. Irregular Verbs Are Just Frequently Used Friends
The big scary verbs like être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make) often intimidate learners. But think of them not as enemies, but as friends you see all the time. You use them so often that memorization happens naturally.
Take être:
Je suis
Tu es
Il/elle est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/elles sont
It looks wild at first, but you’ll use it constantly—to describe yourself, say where you are, give your nationality or mood. In no time, it becomes second nature. The same goes for avoir, which you'll use for age, possession, and many tenses.
Hack: Make flashcards or use post-it notes for these top 10 most-used verbs. Put them on your mirror, your fridge, your notebook. Repetition = fluency.
3. Spoken French Is Simpler Than Written French
Here’s a secret that textbooks often forget to mention: French people drop endings when they speak. That elaborate six-part table becomes much simpler in conversation. Many verb forms sound identical out loud.
Take parler again:
Je parle
Tu parles
Il/elle parle
Ils/elles parlent
All of those sound exactly the same: [parl].
So while the spelling might seem like overkill, the pronunciation is flat and manageable. It’s only in writing that the complexity shows up.
This means that for most of your early conversations, you really only need to master three distinct sounds:
"je" forms
"nous" forms (because of liaison: nous aimons = noo-zay-mon)
"vous" forms (polite and plural)
That’s not six. That’s three. Already cut your verb stress in half!
4. Verb Endings Always Follow a Pattern
Even the irregulars aren’t completely chaotic. Most irregular verbs have familiar endings, especially in compound tenses. Once you learn a few anchor verbs, the rest become variations.
For example, vouloir (to want), pouvoir (to be able to), and devoir (to have to) all share similar forms:
Je veux / Je peux / Je dois
Tu veux / Tu peux / Tu dois
Il veut / Il peut / Il doit
The endings are nearly identical. The stems change slightly, but they follow the same beat. It’s like learning a dance move: different songs, same steps.
Pro tip: Group irregular verbs by pattern or theme. Learn them in trios or families.
5. You Don’t Need to Know Every Tense to Speak Fluently
A lot of French learners feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of verb tenses:
Présent
Passé composé
Imparfait
Futur simple
Conditionnel
Subjonctif
But here’s the reality: You only need 3 tenses to have most conversations.
Present: Je mange (I eat / I am eating)
Past (passé composé): J'ai mangé (I ate / I have eaten)
Future (futur proche or simple): Je vais manger (I’m going to eat)
With just these, you can express most things clearly and correctly. The rest come later, and they’re not as tricky as they sound.
Reframe it: Don’t think “I need to know all 14 tenses.” Think, “I need to nail the 3 that I use every day.”
6. The Subjunctive Isn’t a Monster. It’s a Mood.
Yes, the subjunctive is legendary for scaring students. But it’s just a mood, used to express doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty. And the great news? It’s only used after certain phrases. Once you know those phrases, you can spot the subjunctive coming from a mile away.
Examples:
Il faut que tu viennes. (You must come.)
Bien que je sois fatigué... (Even though I’m tired...)
Also, the subjunctive is mostly limited to the present tense for learners. And again—spoken French often avoids it entirely. That’s right: everyday speakers often sidestep it.
So breathe. It’s more like grammar spice than grammar surgery.
7. You Can Learn Verbs Through Chunks, Not Charts
Instead of memorizing isolated verb forms, learn full chunks of language:
Je voudrais un café. (I would like a coffee.)
Il y a... (There is/are...)
On va faire la fête. (We’re going to party.)
Chunks train your ear and your mouth at the same time. You don’t have to stop mid-sentence to conjugate. You already know the structure because you’ve heard it and said it before.
This is how native speakers learned as kids. And it works for adults, too.
8. Tools and Tricks for Taming Verbs
Here are a few learner-tested tricks for making verbs stick:
Color code your verb endings (blue for -ER, green for -IR, etc.)
Speak aloud as you write. Hearing and saying helps memory.
Label verbs in your environment: Manger, boire, dormir.
Use audio: Songs, podcasts, and dialogues help internalize rhythm.
Write mini-dialogues using the same verbs over and over in different forms.
Conclusion: From Scared to Skilled
French verbs have a reputation for being scary. But as you’ve seen, the fear comes mostly from the appearance of complexity, not the reality. Once you start with regulars, embrace patterns, and learn how French sounds in the real world, you’ll find that verbs are far from villains.
They’re tools. And eventually, they become your tools. Tools for expression, connection, humor, storytelling, dreaming.
Start small. Start real. Speak messy. Conjugate what you need and skip what you don’t. French verbs are not your enemy—they’re your stepping stones to fluency.
Ready to Conquer Verbs in Real Life?
At Polyglottist Language Academy, our French classes are built for learners who want to feel comfortable, confident, and conversational. Whether you're starting from scratch or brushing up, our in-person and online courses help you master verbs in the way people actually use them.