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French Irregular Verbs: The 30 Most Common (with Conjugations)
Master essential French irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire and more. Complete list with conjugations, common mistakes, and practical tips for learners. What makes a French verb irregular? A French irregular verb doesn't follow the standard conjugation patterns of the three main groups (-er, -ir, -re verbs). These verbs display stem changes, unique endings, or both, making them impossible to conjugate by simply applying a formula. The challenge for learners is that each irregular verb requires individual memorization.
Most French irregular verbs belong to the third group (le troisième groupe), with the notable exception of aller (to go), which ends in -er but conjugates irregularly. While this might seem daunting, there's an important silver lining: the most frequently used verbs in French happen to be irregular, meaning your effort in learning them pays off immediately in everyday conversation.
The essential irregular verbs you need first The four pillars: être, avoir, aller, faire These four verbs form the absolute foundation of French conjugation. Beyond their standalone meanings, they serve as auxiliary verbs and building blocks for complex tenses.
Être (to be): je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont Avoir (to have): j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont Aller (to go): je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont Faire (to do/make): je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font
These verbs use multiple stems depending on the tense and person. For example, être uses “su-”, “ét-”, “so-”, and “se-” across different conjugations, which explains why its forms look so different from one another.
Movement and action verbs Venir (to come) and its compounds (devenir, revenir, tenir, obtenir) share the same irregular pattern: je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent
Prendre (to take) and its derivatives (apprendre, comprendre, surprendre): je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent
Voir (to see) and related verbs (revoir, prévoir): je vois, tu vois, il voit, nous voyons, vous voyez, ils voient
Notice the pattern: singular forms often differ significantly from plural forms, with stem changes occurring at the “nous” and “vous” forms.
Communication and thinking verbs Dire (to say/tell): je dis, tu dis, il dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils disent Savoir (to know facts): je sais, tu sais, il sait, nous savons, vous savez, ils savent Connaître (to know people/places): je connais, tu connais, il connaît, nous connaissons, vous connaissez, ils connaissent
The circumflex accent (^) on connaître appears before a “t” and marks the historical disappearance of an “s” from older French.
Modal verbs Pouvoir (can/to be able): je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent Vouloir (to want): je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent Devoir (must/to have to): je dois, tu dois, il doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent
These three verbs show a characteristic alternation between singular forms (with -eu- or -oi- stems) and plural forms (with -ouv-, -oul-, -ev- stems).
The 30 most common French irregular verbs 1. Être – to be 2. Avoir – to have 3. Faire – to do/make 4. Aller – to go 5. Dire – to say/tell 6. Pouvoir – can/to be able 7. Vouloir – to want 8. Venir – to come 9. Devoir – must/to have to 10. Prendre – to take 11. Savoir – to know (facts) 12. Voir – to see 13. Mettre – to put 14. Falloir – to be necessary (impersonal) 15. Tenir – to hold 16. Partir – to leave 17. Sortir – to go out 18. Connaître – to know (people/places) 19. Vivre – to live 20. Écrire – to write 21. Lire – to read 22. Boire – to drink 23. Croire – to believe 24. Recevoir – to receive 25. Courir – to run 26. Ouvrir – to open 27. Offrir – to offer 28. Mourir – to die 29. Suivre – to follow 30. Naître – to be born
Why are these verbs irregular? Irregularity stems from the phonetic evolution from Latin to French over centuries. The most frequently used verbs underwent oral transformations that created shortened or modified forms to ease everyday pronunciation.
For instance, aller actually combines three different Latin verbs: ambulare (nous allons), ire (j'irai), and vadere (je vais). This merger explains why its forms seem completely unrelated to each other.
Verbs ending in -oir (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, voir, savoir, recevoir) form a particularly irregular category, as this ending itself results from complex historical changes.
Common mistakes to avoid Mixing up present tense stems ❌ Ils voulent → ✅ Ils veulent ❌ Vous faisez → ✅ Vous faites ❌ Vous disez → ✅ Vous dites
The “vous” form (second person plural) often has unique forms that must be memorized individually. Don't assume you can simply add “-ez” to the stem.
Forgetting circumflex accents ❌ Il connait → ✅ Il connaît ❌ Il nait → ✅ Il naît
The circumflex accent appears before “t” in verbs like connaître, naître, paraître, and their derivatives. While this might seem like a minor detail, it's considered a spelling error in formal French.
Using the wrong auxiliary verb Some irregular verbs take être (not avoir) in compound tenses, particularly movement verbs (aller, venir, partir, sortir, naître, mourir) and reflexive verbs.
❌ J'ai allé → ✅ Je suis allé(e) ❌ Il a venu → ✅ Il est venu
This is one of the most persistent errors among learners, even at intermediate levels.
Incorrectly regularizing irregular verbs Many learners try to apply regular patterns to irregular verbs, especially in the future and conditional tenses:
❌ Je voirai → ✅ Je verrai (future of voir) ❌ Je vienerai → ✅ Je viendrai (future of venir) ❌ Je pourrais is correct, but ❌ je pouverai is wrong
The future and conditional of irregular verbs often have special stems (je verrai, je viendrai, je pourrai) that don't follow the infinitive + endings pattern.
Confusing savoir and connaître Both mean “to know,” but they're not interchangeable:
Savoir = to know facts, information, how to do something “Je sais conjuguer” (I know how to conjugate) “Elle sait la réponse” (She knows the answer)
Connaître = to know people, places, to be familiar with “Je connais Marie” (I know Marie) “Il connaît Paris” (He knows Paris)
Effective learning strategies Group verbs by family Learn together verbs that share the same conjugation pattern:
Venir family: tenir, devenir, revenir, obtenir, appartenir Mettre family: permettre, promettre, admettre, soumettre, remettre Prendre family: apprendre, comprendre, surprendre, entreprendre Once you master the base verb, the derivatives follow the same pattern, multiplying your vocabulary efficiently.
Prioritize essential tenses Focus first on:
- Present indicative (daily communication) 2. Passé composé (talking about past events) 3. Imparfait (descriptions, past habits) 4. Near future (aller + infinitive)
These four forms cover the vast majority of everyday conversation situations. You can add other tenses progressively as you gain confidence.
Practice in context, not isolation Rather than memorizing conjugation tables in a vacuum, use these verbs in complete sentences that are meaningful to you:
“Je vais au marché, tu viens avec moi?” (I'm going to the market, are you coming with me?) “Nous devons faire les courses avant qu'il ne pleuve.” (We must do the shopping before it rains.) “Ils veulent savoir si vous pouvez les recevoir.” (They want to know if you can receive them.) This contextual approach helps your brain create associations and remember forms more naturally than rote memorization.
Use frequency to your advantage Because irregular verbs are so common, you'll encounter them constantly in French media, conversations, and reading. This natural repetition is your ally. Pay attention when you hear or read them, and actively try to use them in your own speech and writing.
Conclusion French irregular verbs represent a significant learning investment, but an unavoidable one. The good news is that the 30 verbs presented here cover a substantial portion of daily French communication. By mastering them, you'll have a solid foundation for expressing yourself effectively.
Consistency matters more than quantity: conjugate a few verbs each day in context rather than trying to memorize entire lists at once. Your fluency will develop gradually through repeated exposure and active use. Remember, even native speakers learned these verbs one at a time through constant practice—you're simply following the same natural path.
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