A1.8 - Address and contact details

The present indicative of -er verbs: 1st group

Le présent de l'indicatif des verbes en -er: 1er groupe

En français, il y a 3 groupes de verbes. Voici comment conjuguer les verbes du premier groupe, au présent de l'indicatif.

(In French, there are 3 groups of verbs. Here is how to conjugate first-group verbs in the present indicative.)

What you are learning here: regular “-er” verbs in the present

Most French verbs end in -er (1st group). They are usually predictable in the present tense.

  • Step 1: take the infinitive (e.g. contacter).
  • Step 2: remove -er → you get the stem: contact-.
  • Step 3: add the present endings: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.

The “template” you can reuse (one look = one decision)

Subject Ending Example with contact- Pronunciation tip
je -e je contacte Often the final -e/-es/-ent is silent → contacte / contactes / contactent sound very similar.
tu -es tu contactes
il / elle / on -e il contacte
nous -ons nous contactons -ons is clearly pronounced: con-tac-ton.
vous -ez vous contactez -ez sounds like “ay” in café: con-tac-tay.
ils / elles -ent ils contactent The letters -ent are silent (but the liaison may appear before a vowel).

Two common pitfalls (and how to self-correct fast)

  • 1) Don’t forget: spelling ≠ sound.

    You must write the ending even if you barely hear it:

    • ils contacte → ils contactent
    • tu contacte → tu contactes

  • 2) Don’t mix up infinitive and conjugated form.

    After a subject (je/tu/il…), you need a conjugated verb, not the infinitive:

    • Je contacter le service → Je contacte le service
    • Vous envoyer un mail → Vous envoyez un mail

Zoom in: “envoyer” is still -er, but the spelling changes

Envoyer follows the same endings, but the stem spelling changes for pronunciation:

Person Form What to notice
je / tu / il-elle-on / ils-elles j’envoie / tu envoies / il envoie / ils envoient y → i in these forms: envoi-
nous / vous nous envoyons / vous envoyez Keep y: envoy-

Memory hook: think “nous / vous = keep the Y”.

Spelling changes to “protect” pronunciation (you will see these often)

Some -er verbs change spelling in nous to keep the same sound:

  • manger → nous mangeons (keeps the soft “g”)
  • commencer → nous commençons (keeps the soft “c”)

These are still regular endings; only the spelling adapts.

Quick self-check before you speak or write

  1. Who is the subject? (je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles)
  2. Is it an -er verb? If yes, use the template endings.
  3. Is it a special spelling verb?
    • envoyer: envoi- except with nous/vous
    • manger / commencer: change spelling in nous
  4. Write the ending even if it’s silent.

Important note: “aller” looks like -er, but it is not 1st group

Aller is irregular (3rd group). Don’t apply the -er template to it.

  1. All first-group verbs end in -er in the infinitive.
  2. The stem stays the same for all subject pronouns.
  3. The present indicative of first-group verbs is formed by adding the endings "-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent" to the stem.
Contacter (To contact)Envoyer (To send)
Je contacte (I contact)J'envoie (I send)
Tu contactes (You contact)Tu envoies (You send)
Il/ Elle/ On contacte (He/ She/ We contact)Il/ Elle/ On envoie (He/ She/ We send)
Nous contactons (We contact)Nous envoyons (We send)
Vous contactez (You contact)Vous envoyez (You send)
Ils/ Elles contactent (They contact)Ils/ Elles envoient (They send)

Exceptions!

  1. Some verbs undergo a change to keep the pronunciation: manger - nous mangeons / commencer - nous commençons.
  2. The verb "Aller" ends in "-er" but is not a first-group verb; it belongs to the third group.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Je ___ le service des documents pour votre dossier.

Je ___ le service des documents pour votre dossier.

2. Vous ___ un mail avec votre adresse et votre numéro de téléphone.

Vous ___ un mail avec votre adresse et votre numéro de téléphone.

3. Nous ___ le courrier à la bonne adresse.

Nous ___ le courrier à la bonne adresse.

4. Ils ___ les candidats par téléphone.

Ils ___ les candidats par téléphone.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentence in the present tense, conjugating the verb in parentheses correctly (first-group -er verbs).

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  1. Je (contacter) le service RH pour un rendez-vous.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Je contacte le service RH pour un rendez-vous.
    (I contact the HR department to make an appointment.)
  2. Tu (envoyer) un e-mail au propriétaire.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Tu envoies un e-mail au propriétaire.
    (You send an email to the landlord.)
  3. Il (contacter) le médecin ce matin.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Il contacte le médecin ce matin.
    (He contacted the doctor this morning.)
  4. Nous (envoyer) les documents à la mairie.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Nous envoyons les documents à la mairie.
    (We send the documents to the town hall.)
  5. Vous (contacter) le support technique par téléphone.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Vous contactez le support technique par téléphone.
    (You contact technical support by phone.)
  6. Ils (envoyer) la demande par courrier.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ils envoient la demande par courrier.
    (They send the request by mail.)

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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:

Sunday, 08/03/2026 08:55