A1.9 - Days of the week and parts of the day

The present indicative of -ir verbs: 2nd group

Le présent de l'indicatif des verbes en -ir: 2ème groupe

Voici comment conjuguer les verbes du deuxième groupe, au présent de l'indicatif.

(Here is how to conjugate second-group verbs in the present indicative.)

How to recognize these verbs (2nd group “-ir”)

These are regular verbs like finir (to finish) and choisir (to choose).

  • Infinitive ends in -ir
  • They follow the same present-tense pattern as finir
  • In French grammar books, they are often called 2nd group verbs

Step-by-step: build the present tense

  1. 1) Remove -ir to get the stem (radical).

    • finir → stem: fin-
    • choisir → stem: chois-

  2. 2) Add the endings:

    Subject Ending Example (fin-)
    je-isje finis
    tu-istu finis
    il / elle / on-itil finit
    nous-issonsnous finissons
    vous-issezvous finissez
    ils / elles-issentils finissent

The main “trap”: writing vs. pronunciation

  • You usually do not pronounce the final consonants -s and -t in these forms.

    • je finis → sounds like “fee-nee” (final s is silent)
    • il finit → sounds like “fee-nee” (final t is silent)

  • So these 3 forms sound the same (but are spelled differently):

    SpellingMeaning
    je finisI finish
    tu finisyou finish (informal)
    il/elle/on finithe/she/one/we (informal) finishes

A quick self-check before you answer

  1. Who is the subject? je / tu / il-elle-on / nous / vous / ils-elles

  2. Does the verb end in -ir and follow the finir pattern?

  3. Pick the ending: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent

  4. Double-check the “nous / vous / ils” forms (they are the easiest to mix up).

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

  • Mixing up -it and -is:

    • Elle finis → Elle finit
    • Je finit → Je finis

  • Forgetting -ss- in nous / vous / ils-elles:

    • Nous finisons → Nous finissons
    • Vous choisez → Vous choisissez
    • Ils choisent → Ils choisissent

  • Confusing verb endings with gender:

    • finie / choisie look like “feminine”, but they are not present-tense forms.

    • In the present tense, you use: je finis, elle finit, etc.

What you can say with this (useful, adult contexts)

  • Je finis le rapport ce matin. (I finish the report this morning.)

  • Tu choisis une option. (You choose an option.)

  • Nous finissons la réunion à 18h. (We finish the meeting at 6 p.m.)

  • Vous choisissez l’hôtel près de la gare. (You choose the hotel near the station.)

  • Ils choisissent le menu du jour. (They choose the daily menu.)

  1. All 2nd-group verbs end in -ir in the infinitive.
  2. The stem stays the same for all subject pronouns.
  3. The present indicative is formed by adding the endings "-is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent" to the stem.
Finir (To finish)Choisir (To choose)
Je finis (I finish)Je choisis (I choose)
Tu finis (You finish)Tu choisis (You choose)
Il/ Elle/ On finit (He/ She/ One finishes)Elle choisit (She chooses)
Nous finissons (We finish)Nous choisissons (We choose)
Vous finissez (You finish)Vous choisissez (You choose)
Ils/ Elles finissent (They finish)Ils choisissent (They choose)

Exceptions!

  1. We do not pronounce the final consonants "s" and "t".

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Je ___ mon déjeuner avec un café.

I ___ my lunch with a coffee.

2. Tu ___ du pain ou des pâtes ?

Do you ___ bread or pasta?

3. Nous ___ le dîner avec du fromage et une salade.

We ___ dinner with cheese and a salad.

4. Vous ___ de l’eau au petit-déjeuner ?

Do you ___ water for breakfast?

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite each sentence in the present tense by conjugating the verb in parentheses (second-group -ir verbs) according to the subject. Example: Nous (finir) à 18h → Nous finissons à 18h.

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  1. Je (finir) le rapport ce matin.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je finis le rapport ce matin.
    (Je finis le rapport ce matin.)
  2. Tu (choisir) une salade au restaurant.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Tu choisis une salade au restaurant.
    (Tu choisis une salade au restaurant.)
  3. Elle (finir) à 18h.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Elle finit à 18h.
    (Elle finit à 18h.)
  4. Nous (choisir) un hôtel près de la gare.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Nous choisissons un hôtel près de la gare.
    (Nous choisissons un hôtel près de la gare.)
  5. Vous (finir) votre petit-déjeuner maintenant.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Vous finissez votre petit-déjeuner maintenant.
    (Vous finissez votre petit-déjeuner maintenant.)
  6. Ils (choisir) le menu du jour.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ils choisissent le menu du jour.
    (Ils choisissent le menu du jour.)

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Wednesday, 15/04/2026 05:16