Learning a foreign language can be a doozy. Sometimes I get so frustrated by what I don’t know that it takes away the joy from what I do know. My French teacher in high school reminded us that even though we’re native English speakers, we still won’t know every last English word and rule. And it’s the same when we’re learning French. Today we’re going to learn the 50 most common French verbs.

Studying the most popular words in a language is a great place to begin learning. Paul Rivenc did a study* on the most commonly used French words, and he came up with a list of the 50 most used French verbs, which I’ve included below.

If you’re learning French and want to grow your verb repertoire, this is a great way to expand your vocab. Start by learning the infinitives so that you can recognize them as you read or listen, and then start writing out their conjugations.

Most Common French Verbs

1. être: to be
2. avoir: to have
3. faire: to do or to make
4. dire: to say
5. aller: to go
6. voir: to see
7. savoir: to know
8. pouvoir: to be able to
9. falloir: to be necessary
10. vouloir: to want
11. venir: to come
12. prendre: to take
13. arriver: to arrive
14. croire: to believe
15. mettre: to put
16. passer: to pass
17. devoir: to have to
18. trouver: to find
19. donner: to give
20. comprendre: to understand
21. connaître: to know
22. partir: to leave
23. demander: to ask
24. tenir: to hold
25. aimer: to love
26. penser: to think
27. rester: to stay
28. manger: to eat
29. appeler: to call
30. sortir: to go out
31. travailler: to work
32. acheter: to buy
33. laisser: to leave or to let
34. écouter: to listen
35. entendre: to hear
36. rentrer: to return
37. commencer: to start
38. marcher: to walk
39. regarder: to look
40. rendre: to give back
41. revenir: to come back
42. lire: to read
43. monter: to go up
44. payer: to pay
45. parler: to speak
46. chercher: to look for
47. jouer: to play
48. paraître: to appear or to seem
49. attendre: to wait
50. perdre: to lose

Sign up to get access to my free Quizlet. I’ve also made some downloadable flashcards and a glossary to help you study these French verbs.

If you’re looking to learn even more French, here are 9 French films you’ll want to add to your watch list. And check out these helpful French phrases to know.

*Adapted from Structure du français moderne: Introduction à l’analyse linguistique, Pierre Léon et Parth Bhatt. Quatrième édition. Pages 194–195.