Study guide
2.2 Present Tense (-ER Verbs & Auxiliaries Être/Avoir)
DELF A1 — French Language Diploma Beginner
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1 Chapter 1: Introduction & Exam Overview
1.1 DELF A1 Structure, Scoring & 2020 Reforms 1.2 CEFR A1 Descriptors & Study Strategy
2 Chapter 2: Essential A1 French Grammar
2.1 Nouns, Gender & Articles (Definite, Indefinite, Partitive) 2.2 Present Tense (-ER Verbs & Auxiliaries Être/Avoir) 2.3 Irregular Verbs, Semi-Auxiliaries & Futur Proche 2.4 Question Formation, Negation & Prepositions of Place
3 Chapter 3: High-Frequency Vocabulary & Everyday Functions
3.1 Personal Identity, Greetings, Polite Formulas & Professions 3.2 Numbers 0–1000, Dates, Time & Daily Routines 3.3 Food, Shopping, Prices & Transactions 3.4 Housing, City Navigation & Giving Directions
4 Chapter 4: Compréhension de l'Oral (Listening Comprehension)
4.1 Public Announcements, Recorded Messages & Instructions 4.2 Short Everyday Dialogues & Voicemail Messages 4.3 Listening Strategies, Note-Taking & Auditory Traps
5 Chapter 5: Compréhension des Écrits (Reading Comprehension)
5.1 Public Signs, Commercial Menus & Product Labels 5.2 Transport Timetables, Classified Ads & Public Notices 5.3 Personal Emails, Postcards & Event Invitations
6 Chapter 6: Production Écrite (Written Production)
6.1 Completing Administrative Forms & Fiches de Renseignements (Exercise 1) 6.2 Crafting Postcards, Invitations & Short Notes (Exercise 2) 6.3 Written Production Rubric, Self-Correction & Common Pitfalls
7 Chapter 7: Production Orale (Speaking & Interaction)
7.1 Part 1: Guided Interview (Entretien Dirigé) 7.2 Part 2: Information Exchange (Échange d'Informations) 7.3 Part 3: Simulated Dialogue / Role-Play (Jeu de Rôle)
2.2 Present Tense (-ER Verbs & Auxiliaries Être/Avoir)
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Regular 1st-group French verbs ending in -er follow a consistent pattern with endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent, where the singular forms and 3rd-person plural ending -ent are phonetically silent.
Subject pronouns require choosing between informal 'tu' and polite/formal 'vous', while 'on' serves as informal 'we' and takes 3rd-person singular verb conjugation.
The irregular auxiliaries 'être' (je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont) and 'avoir' (j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont) are foundational for descriptions, states, and compound structures.
French expresses age, bodily sensations, and emotional states using 'avoir' rather than 'être' (e.g., avoir ... ans, avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir chaud, avoir besoin de).
Tonic pronouns (moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles) emphasize subjects and must be used after prepositions (e.g., 'avec moi', 'chez elle', 'pour eux').
Last updated: August 2026
Present Tense (-ER Verbs & Auxiliaries Être/Avoir)
The Present Indicative ( le présent de l'indicatif ) is the most frequently tested tense in DELF A1. It is used to state facts, describe habits, introduce oneself, express current states, and describe daily routines.
Mastering the conjugation of first-group regular verbs ending in -er , the two foundational auxiliary verbs ( être and avoir ), idiomatic expressions with avoir , and tonic pronouns is essential for success in both speaking and writing.
1. Subject Pronouns & Registers of Politeness
In French, subject pronouns ( les pronoms personnels sujets ) indicate who or what performs the action. Because French verbs change endings depending on the subject, subject pronouns are mandatory in standard declarative sentences. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | SUBJECT PRONOUN SYSTEM |
- | |
- | SINGULAR PLURAL |
- | - Je / J' (I) - Nous (We) |
- | - Tu (You - informal) - Vous (You - formal / plural)|
- | - Il (He / It - masc.) - Ils (They - masc. / mixed) |
- | - Elle (She / It - fem.) - Elles (They - fem. only) |
- | - On (One / We - informal) |
- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The 'Tu' vs. 'Vous' Distinction in DELF A1:
Tu ( Tutoiement ): Used with friends, family members, classmates, children, and peers.
Vous ( Vouvoiement ): Used with strangers, adult professionals, shopkeepers, examiners, and whenever addressing multiple persons.
Important
The Pronoun 'On': In modern everyday French, on is almost universally used in place of nous to mean "we" . However, grammatically, on always takes the third-person singular verb conjugation (identical to il/elle ):
On habite à Paris. (We live in Paris. / Conjugated like il habite ).
On va au restaurant ce soir. (We are going to the restaurant tonight.).
2. First-Group Regular Verbs (-ER Verbs)
Approximately 85% of all French verbs belong to the first group, characterized by the infinitive ending -er (e.g., parler, habiter, aimer, écouter, travailler, chercher, regarder, réserver ).
Conjugation Rule:
Remove the infinitive ending -er to isolate the stem (e.g., parl- , habit- , aim- ).
Add the regular present tense endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent .
- Subject Ending Parler (to speak) Habiter (to live) Aimer (to like/love)
- Je / J' -e Je parl e J'habit e J'aim e
- Tu -es Tu parl es Tu habit es Tu aim es
- Il / Elle / On -e Il parl e Elle habit e On aim e
- Nous -ons Nous parl ons Nous habit ons Nous aim ons
- Vous -ez Vous parl ez Vous habit ez Vous aim ez
Ils / Elles -ent Ils parl ent Elles habit ent Ils aim ent +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION TRAP |
- | |
- | The 4 forms: Je parle, Tu parles, Il parle, Ils parlent |
- | ARE ALL PRONOUNCED IDENTICALLY: /paʁl/ |
- | |
- | The ending '-ent' in 3rd person plural verbs is 100% SILENT. |
- | Never pronounce it like the nasal sound 'en' / 'an'! |
- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Minor Spelling Adjustments in -ER Verbs:
Verbs in -ger ( manger, voyager, nager ): Add an e before -ons for nous to preserve the soft 'g' sound ( nous mang e ons , nous voyag e ons ).
Verbs in -cer ( commencer, avancer ): Add a cedilla ( ç ) before -ons for nous to preserve the soft 's' sound ( nous commen ç ons ).
Verbs with stem vowel changes ( acheter, préférer ): Change the accent to è in silent-ending forms ( j'ach è te , je préf è re , but nous achetons , nous préférons ).
3. The Irregular Auxiliary Verbs: Être and Avoir
The two most important verbs in the French language are être (to be) and avoir (to have) . Because they are completely irregular, their present tense forms must be memorized thoroughly.
Conjugation Comparison Table:
- Subject Être (To Be) IPA & Pronunciation Avoir (To Have) IPA & Pronunciation
- Je / J' suis /ʒə sɥi/ ai /ʒe/
- Tu es /ty ɛ/ as /ty a/
- Il / Elle / On est /il ɛ/ a /il a/
- Nous sommes /nu sɔm/ avons /nu za.vɔ̃/ (liaison [z])
- Vous êtes /vu zɛt/ (liaison [z]) avez /vu za.ve/ (liaison [z])
Ils / Elles sont /il sɔ̃/ (unvoiced [s]) ont /il zɔ̃/ (voiced liaison [z]) +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | CRITICAL AUDITORY DISTINCTION: SONT VS. ONT |
- | |
- | ILS SONT (They are - Être): Pronounced with [s] sound: /il sɔ̃/ |
- | ILS ONT (They have - Avoir): Pronounced with [z] liaison: /il zɔ̃/ |
- | |
- | Misinterpreting this sound in Listening Comprehension is a frequent |
- | source of mark loss on DELF A1! |
- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- 4. Idiomatic Expressions with 'Avoir'
In French, numerous physical states, bodily sensations, and personal attributes that use "to be" in English must be expressed with 'avoir' in French. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | HIGH-FREQUENCY 'AVOIR' EXPRESSIONS |
- | |
- | [AGE] ---> Avoir ... ans (J'ai 28 ans.) |
- | [SENSATIONS] ---> Avoir faim (J'ai faim - I am hungry.) |
- | Avoir soif (Tu as soif - You are thirsty.) |
- | Avoir chaud (Il a chaud - He is hot.) |
- | Avoir froid (Nous avons froid - We are cold.) |
- | Avoir sommeil (Elle a sommeil - She is sleepy.) |
- | [PAIN] ---> Avoir mal à + body (J'ai mal à la tête - headache.) |
- | [NEEDS] ---> Avoir besoin de (J'ai besoin d'un passeport.) |
- | [DESIRES] ---> Avoir envie de (J'ai envie d'un café.) |
- | [FEAR] ---> Avoir peur de (Il a peur de l'avion.) |
- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Warning
The Age Rule: Never say "Je suis 25 ans" or "Je suis 25" . In French, age is something you have , not something you are . The only correct structure is: Sujet + avoir + [number] + ans (e.g., J'ai 25 ans ).
5. Tonic / Disjunctive Pronouns ( Les Pronoms Toniques )
Tonic pronouns are stressed personal pronouns used independently of conjugated verb agreement.
Tonic Pronoun Forms:
Subject Pronoun Tonic Pronoun Example Sentence English Translation
Je Moi Moi, je m'appelle Sophie. Me, my name is Sophie.
Tu Toi Et toi, comment vas-tu ? And you, how are you?
Il Lui Paul ? Je travaille avec lui. Paul? I work with him.
Elle Elle Cette lettre est pour elle. This letter is for her.
Nous Nous Venez chez nous ce soir ! Come to our place tonight!
Vous Vous Et vous, vous êtes prêt ? And you, are you ready?
Ils Eux Je vais au cinéma avec eux. I am going to the movies with them.
Elles Elles Ce cadeau est pour elles. This gift is for them (fem.).
When to Use Tonic Pronouns:
After Prepositions ( avec, pour, chez, sans, à côté de ):
- Tu viens avec moi ? (Are you coming with me?)
- Nous dînons chez lui . (We are dining at his place.)
For Emphasis / Contrast:
Lui , il est canadien, mais moi , je suis français. (He is Canadian, but I am French.)
In Short Answers Without a Verb:
Qui veut un café ? — Moi ! (Who wants coffee? — Me!)
After « C'est » and « Ce sont »: