Master French Grammar: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
From verb conjugations to gender agreements — every rule you need to speak French with confidence.
French grammar can feel overwhelming at first — but once you understand its core patterns, everything clicks. This guide breaks down the essential building blocks so you can read, write, and speak French with growing confidence.
Noun Gender: Le, La & Les
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine — and there’s no perfect shortcut. However, certain endings are reliable clues.
Être — To Be
Être is the most fundamental French verb. It forms compound tenses and describes identity, origin, and state. Memorise it first.
| je | suis |
| tu | es |
| il / elle | est |
| nous | sommes |
| vous | êtes |
| ils / elles | sont |
Avoir — To Have
Avoir expresses possession and is the auxiliary for most compound tenses (like the passé composé). It’s just as critical as être.
| j’ | ai |
| tu | as |
| il / elle | a |
| nous | avons |
| vous | avez |
| ils / elles | ont |
Regular –ER Verbs
Over 90% of French verbs end in -ER and follow one predictable pattern. Mastering this unlocks hundreds of verbs instantly.
| je | parle |
| tu | parles |
| il / elle | parle |
| nous | parlons |
| vous | parlez |
| ils / elles | parlent |
Apply the same endings to: aimer (to love), manger (to eat), chanter (to sing), écouter (to listen), regarder (to watch).
Adjective Agreement
French adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This means the same adjective can have up to four forms.
The Passé Composé
The passé composé is the most common past tense in spoken French. It describes completed actions. Formed with avoir or être + past participle.
| j’ | ai parlé |
| tu | as parlé |
| il / elle | a parlé |
| nous | avons parlé |
| vous | avez parlé |
| ils / elles | ont parlé |
| je | suis allé(e) |
| tu | es allé(e) |
| il / elle | est allé / allée |
| nous | sommes allé(e)s |
| vous | êtes allé(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | sont allés / allées |
The Subjonctif
The subjonctif expresses doubt, emotion, necessity, and subjectivity. It’s triggered by specific conjunctions and expressions.
| que je | parle |
| que tu | parles |
| qu’il / elle | parle |
| que nous | parlions |
| que vous | parliez |
| qu’ils / elles | parlent |
