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
- être: to be
- avoir: to have
- faire: to do or to make
- dire: to say
- aller: to go
- voir: to see
- savoir: to know
- pouvoir: to be able to
- falloir: to be necessary
- vouloir: to want
- venir: to come
- prendre: to take
- arriver: to arrive
- croire: to believe
- mettre: to put
- passer: to pass
- devoir: to have to
- trouver: to find
- donner: to give
- comprendre: to understand
- connaître: to know
- partir: to leave
- demander: to ask
- tenir: to hold
- aimer: to love
- penser: to think
- rester: to stay
- manger: to eat
- appeler: to call
- sortir: to go out
- travailler: to work
- acheter: to buy
- laisser: to leave or to let
- écouter: to listen
- entendre: to hear
- rentrer: to return
- commencer: to start
- marcher: to walk
- regarder: to look
- rendre: to give back
- revenir: to come back
- lire: to read
- monter: to go up
- payer: to pay
- parler: to speak
- chercher: to look for
- jouer: to play
- paraître: to appear or to seem
- attendre: to wait
- 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.
