Verbs in -ER stem changing
Minor Spelling Changes with -er Verbs (présent)
Spelling changes occur in the stems of several groups of -er verbs in the present tense. These changes reflect the pronunciation of the present tense forms and often follows the traditional boot pattern of -er verb conjugations in the present tense (you may have already recalled the spelling change in the verb s’appeler (Je m’appelle …, My name is …) or how the ‘aime’ of j’aime is pronounced the same way across the the singular (tu aimes, il aime) and 3rd person plural forms (ils aiment).
Verbs ending in -er with minor spelling changes in the stem
1. Verbs like MANGER or NAGER : an e is added after the g before -ons to preserve the soft g sound.
MANGER (to eat)
| Singulier | Pluriel |
|---|---|
| je mange | nous mangeons |
| tu manges | vous mangez |
| il, elle, iel, on mange | ils, elles mangent |
| pronoms sujets au singulier | pronoms sujets au pluriel |
|---|---|
| je nage | nous nageons |
| tu nages | vous nagez |
| il, elle, iel, on nage | ils, elles nagent |
Other verbs verbs ending in –ger include:
| corriger, to correct |
| exiger, to demand, require |
| partager, to share |
| ranger, to tidy up, arrange |
| rédiger, to write, compose |
| voyager, to travel |
2. Verbs like COMMENCER : a c cédille (ç) is added in the nous form to preserve the soft c sound.
| Singulier | Pluriel |
|---|---|
| je commence | nous commençons |
| tu commences | vous commencez |
| il, elle, iel, on commence | ils, elles commencent |
Other verbs verbs ending in –cer include:
| avancer, to advance |
| divorcer, to divorce |
| menacer, to menace |
| percer, to pierce |
| placer, to put |
| prononcer, to pronounce |
| remplacer, to replace |
3. Verbs like PRÉFÉRER : the second é of the stem is pronounced as the vowel sound of the word ‘pay’ in the infinitive and in the nous and vous forms. However, when the verb ending is silent this é is changed to è is is pronounced like the open e sound of the word ‘bet’.
| Singulier | Pluriel |
|---|---|
| je préfère | nous préférons |
| tu préfères | vous préférez |
| il, elle, iel, on préfère | ils, elles préfèrent |
Other verbs like préférer include:
| célébrer, to celebrate |
| considérer, to consider |
| espérer, to hope |
| régler, to regulate, pay, settle, adjust |
| répéter, to repeat |
| sécher, to dry, skip (a class) |
| suggérer, to suggest |
4. Verbs like ACHETER : the unaccented e of the second last syllable is not pronounced in the infinitive or in the nous and vous form. However, when the verb ending is silent, this e becomes è and is pronounced like the open e sound of the word ‘bet’.
| pronoms sujets au singulier | pronoms sujets au pluriel |
|---|---|
| j’achète | nous achetons |
| tu achètes | vous achetez |
| il, elle, iel,on achète | ils, elles achètent |
Other verbs like acheter include:
| amener, to bring somebody (along) |
| emmener, to take somebody (along) |
| (se) lever, to lift, raise (to get up) |
| mener, to take, lead |
| peser, to weigh |
5. Verbs like appeler (to call) or jeter (to throw): the consonant –l or –t in the the stem doubles in all forms of the present tense, except in the first and second person plural (nous and vous).
APPELER (to call)
| j’appelle | nous appelons |
| tu appelles | vous appelez |
| il/elle/iel/on appelle | ils/elles/iels appellent |
Other verbs like appeler or jeter include:
| épeler, to spell |
| projeter, to project |
| rappeler, to recall, to call back |
| rejeter, to reject |
| renouveler, to renew |
6. Verbs ending in –ayer, including essayer (to try) and payer (to pay): the y changes to i in all persons except the first and second person plural (nous and vous).
ESSAYER (to try)
| j’essaie | nous essayons |
| tu essaies | vous essayez |
| il/elle/iel/on essaie | ils/elles/iels essaient |
Other verbs in this last category include:
| employer, to employ, to use |
| (s’) ennuyer, to (get bored) be bored |
| envoyer, to send |
| nettoyer, to clean |
| tutoyer, to use tu |
| vouvouyer, to use vous |
Source: https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub/french101/chapter/quatrieme-partie-lhexagone-and-francophone-destinations-explication-de-grammaire/
Source: https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub/french101/chapter/quatrieme-partie-lhexagone-and-francophone-destinations-explication-de-grammaire/
