Nous commençons, nous mangeons – Regular Verbs with Spelling Irregularities in French

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Hey, today we’ll be talking about regular verbs with spelling irregularities.

Some French verbs are pretty regular, but with some systematic spelling changes. They can be divided into several groups. Let’s have a look at these groups now.

c:ç Verbs

The first group includes verbs ending in –cer. Here we have just one spelling change: in the first person plural c changes to ç. Here’s the verb prononcer which is a representative of this group:

prononcer – to pronounce

je	prononce	nous	prononçons
tu	prononces	vous	prononcez
elle	prononce	elles	prononcent

Here are some other verbs that follow this pattern:

*commencer*	La leçon commence.	The lesson starts.
*lancer*	Je lance la balle.	I throw the ball.
*annoncer*	Tu annonces ta démission.	You announce your resignation.
*divorcer*	Vous divorcez.	You are divorcing.
*remplacer*	Nous remplaçons les piles.	We replace the batteries.
*menacer*	Cela menace la sécurité.	This threatens the security.

g:ge Verbs

The next group includes verbs ending in –ger, which change g to ge in the first person plural in order to maintain the same pronunciation of the stem. The verb manger is an example:

manger – to eat

je	mange	nous	mangeons
tu	manges	vous	mangez
il	mange	ils	mangent

And here are other verbs that follow this pattern:

*changer*	Ils changent vite.	They are changing fast.
*voyager*	Nous voyageons beaucoup.	We travel a lot.
*corriger*	Je corrige le texte.	I correct the text.
*juger*	Nous jugeons les gens.	We judge people.
*partager*	Ils partagent leurs repas.	They share their meals.
*nager*	On nage dans l’étang.	One swims in the pond.

e:è Verbs

In the next group of verbs there is a mute or very weak e in the syllable before the infinitive ending. This mute or weak e changes to è in all persons except the first and second person plural. A representative of this group is the verb lever:

lever – to raise

je	lève	nous	levons
tu	lèves	vous	levez
elle	lève	elles	lèvent

And as usual some other verbs that are inflected this way:

*acheter*	J’achète un livre.	I’m buying a book.
*amener*	Il amène ses amis.	He’s bringing his friends.
*peser*	Nous pesons la viande.	We weigh the meat.
*mener*	Ils mènent leur chevaux.	They lead their horses.
*geler*	Il gèle.	It’s freezing.

é:è Verbs

In the next group of verbs we have a similar effect. There is an é in the syllable before the infinitive ending. This é changes to è in all persons except the first and second person plural. A representative of this group is the verb espérer:

espérer – to hope

j’	espère	nous	espérons
tu	espères	vous	espérez
il	espère	ils	espèrent

And as usual some other verbs that are inflected this way:

*préférer*	Nous préférons celle-ci.	We prefer this one.
*compléter*	Il complète les phrases.	He’s completing the phrases.
*posséder*	Ils possèdent une voiture.	They own a car.
*répéter*	Vous répétez l’action.	You repeat the action.
*célébrer*	On célèbre la victoire.	One celebrates the victory.

t:tt / l:ll Verbs

The next group contains verbs ending in –eler or -eter. In all persons except the first and second person plural the consonant in the ending gets doubled. A representative of this group is the verb jeter:

jeter – to throw

je	jette	nous	jetons
tu	jettes	vous	jetez
elle	jette	elles	jettent

There are more verbs like this. Have a look:

*appeler*	On appelle le médecin.	One calls the doctor.
*épeler*	J’épelle mon nom.	I spell my name.
*projeter*	Il projette d’attendre.	They are planning to wait.
*rejeter*	Nous rejetons votre offre.	We reject your offer.
*renouveler*	Ils renouvellent le contrat.	They renew the contract.

y:i Verbs

The next group contains verbs ending in –yer. In all persons except the first and second person plural the verbs change y to i. A representative of this group is the verb envoyer:

envoyer – to send

j’	envoie	nous	envoyons
tu	envoies	vous	envoyez
elle	envoie	elles	envoient

Here are some more verbs like this:

*essayer*	Nous essayons de chanter.	We’re trying to sing.
*payer*	Je paie mes factures.	I pay my bills.
*nettoyer*	Ils nettoient la chambre.	They clean the room.
*aboyer*	Le chien aboie.	The dog is barking.
*appuyer*	Tu appuies sur le bouton.	You press the button.