Present Tense -IR Verbs: Finir, Choisir, Réussir and the Second Verb Family
Regular -IR verbs: stem + -is, -is, -it, then -issons, -issez, -issent. The -iss- appears only in the plural.
Not every -IR verb does this. Partir, sortir and dormir have no -iss-: je pars, nous partons. Verbs made from adjectives always take it: grand → grandir → nous grandissons.
Getting Started
In Present Tense -ER Verbs you learned the biggest group. -IR verbs are the second, and they come in two families:
- the finir family, which adds -iss- in the plural: nous finissons;
- the partir family, which doesn’t: nous partons.
The one question: does the nous form have -iss-? Finir, choisir, réussir say yes; partir, sortir, dormir say no. Learn each new -IR verb with its nous form.
By the end you can:
- conjugate finir, choisir, réussir, grandir and the rest of their family;
- conjugate partir, sortir, dormir, which you will use every day;
- hear the singular and the plural apart (il finit / ils finissent).
1. Infinitive and Stem
| Infinitive | Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| finir | fin- | Remove ‘-ir’ |
| choisir | chois- | Remove ‘-ir’ |
| réussir | réuss- | Remove ‘-ir’ |
| grandir | grand- | Remove ‘-ir’ |
2. The Pattern: FINIR (to finish)
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | finis | fee-nee |
| tu | finis | fee-nee |
| il / elle / on | finit | fee-nee |
| nous | finissons | fee-nee-son |
| vous | finissez | fee-nee-say |
| ils / elles | finissent | fee-neess |
- je finis / tu finis / il finit: stem + -is, -is, -it. No -iss-.
- nous finissons / vous finissez / ils finissent: stem + -iss- + -ons, -ez, -ent.
What you hear: je finis, tu finis, il finit sound the same (“fee-nee”). But unlike -ER verbs, the plural is audible: il finit / ils finissent (“fee-nee” / “fee-neess”). That -iss- sound tells you it is more than one person.
3. More Verbs Like Finir
| Infinitive | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| choisir | to choose | Je choisis (I choose) |
| réussir | to succeed / to pass (an exam) | Tu réussis ton examen (You pass your exam) |
| remplir | to fill in | Vous remplissez le formulaire (You fill in the form) |
| grandir | to grow up | Il grandit (He is growing up) |
| obéir | to obey | Elles obéissent (They obey) |
| bâtir | to build | Nous bâtissons (We build) |
| punir | to punish | Ils punissent (They punish) |
Verbs made from adjectives always take -iss-
Many “to become X” verbs are built from an adjective, and they all follow finir:
| Adjective | Verb (-iss-) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| grand (big) | grandir | Les enfants grandissent vite. |
| rouge (red) | rougir | Elle rougit. |
| maigre (thin) | maigrir | Il maigrit. |
| gros (fat) | grossir | Je grossis en hiver. |
| vieux (old) | vieillir | Nos parents vieillissent. |
4. Where the Simple Rule Breaks: the Partir Family
Some of the most common -IR verbs have no -iss-. In the singular they drop the last consonant of the stem and add -s, -s, -t; in the plural the consonant comes back:
| Subject | partir | dormir | sortir |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | pars | dors | sors |
| tu | pars | dors | sors |
| il / elle / on | part | dort | sort |
| nous | partons | dormons | sortons |
| vous | partez | dormez | sortez |
| ils / elles | partent | dorment | sortent |
Sentir (to feel, to smell) and servir (to serve) work the same way: je sens, nous sentons; je sers, nous servons.
Two more groups end in -IR but follow neither pattern:
- venir, tenir are irregular: je viens, nous venons, ils viennent. See Aller, Faire, Venir.
- ouvrir, offrir, découvrir take the -ER endings: j’ouvre, tu ouvres, il ouvre, nous ouvrons.
5. Real Examples
About yourself
- Je finis mon travail à cinq heures. (I finish work at five.)
- Je pars en vacances demain. (I’m leaving on holiday tomorrow.)
- Je dors mal quand il fait chaud. (I sleep badly when it’s hot.)
Asking others
- Tu finis à quelle heure ? (What time do you finish?)
- Vous sortez ce soir ? (Are you going out tonight?)
- Qu’est-ce que vous choisissez ? (What are you choosing?)
In a group
- Nous remplissons le formulaire ensemble. (We are filling in the form together.)
- Ils réussissent toujours leurs examens. (They always pass their exams.)
Common Mistakes
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Je finit | Je finis | je takes -is; -it is for il/elle |
| Nous finons | Nous finissons | the finir family adds -iss- in the plural |
| Ils finit | Ils finissent | plural subject, plural verb |
| Il finissent | Il finit | -iss- only in nous/vous/ils |
| Nous partissons | Nous partons | partir has no -iss- |
| Je dorms | Je dors | the m drops in the singular |
| Tu sorts | Tu sors | the t drops in je/tu |
| J’ouvris | J’ouvre | ouvrir takes -ER endings |
Practice
A. Regular -IR verbs. Write the missing word
- Je ______ mon travail à cinq heures. (finir)
- Tu ______ ton examen ? (réussir)
- Elle ______ une robe rouge. (choisir)
- Nous ______ le formulaire. (remplir)
- Vous ______ à quelle heure ? (finir)
- Les enfants ______ vite ! (grandir)
- Il ______ toujours ses devoirs. (finir)
- Mes amis ______ un restaurant. (choisir)
B. -iss- or not? Write the missing word
- Je ______ à huit heures. (partir)
- Nous ______ ce soir. (sortir)
- Le bébé ______ bien. (dormir)
- Vous ______ quand ? (partir)
- Ils ______ huit heures par nuit. (dormir)
- Tu ______ avec nous ? (sortir)
- Nous ______ nos devoirs. (finir)
- Elles ______ le samedi soir. (sortir)
C. From an adjective. Write the missing word
- Quand on mange trop, on ______. (grossir)
- Mon fils ______ très vite. (grandir)
- Elle ______ quand elle parle en public. (rougir)
- Avec le sport, nous ______. (maigrir)
- Nos parents ______. (vieillir)
- Tu ______ quand il fait froid ? (pâlir)
Show answers
A. 1. finis · 2. réussis · 3. choisit · 4. remplissons · 5. finissez · 6. grandissent · 7. finit · 8. choisissent
B. 1. pars · 2. sortons · 3. dort · 4. partez · 5. dorment · 6. sors · 7. finissons · 8. sortent
C. 1. grossit · 2. grandit · 3. rougit · 4. maigrissons · 5. vieillissent · 6. pâlis
Your Turn
Task (TEF/TCF speaking): describe your evenings and weekends. Use at least five -IR verbs from both families (finir, choisir, réussir, grandir, partir, sortir, dormir). Speak for 50–70 words.
Show a model answer
Je finis mon travail à dix-sept heures et je pars tout de suite. Le lundi, je choisis un plat simple pour le souper. Le vendredi, mes amis et moi, nous sortons au restaurant. Mes enfants grandissent vite et ils réussissent bien à l’école. Je dors sept heures par nuit, parce que je pars tôt le matin.
What to check: -iss- only in the plural of the finir family (ils réussissent, ils grandissent); none in the partir family (nous sortons); and the dropped consonant in je pars, je dors.
Moving Forward
Practise it with the Present Tense Conjugation Drill.
FAQ
Do all -IR verbs conjugate the same way?
No. This lesson's main group (finir, choisir, réussir, grandir) adds -iss- in the plural. A second, smaller but very common group (partir, sortir, dormir, sentir, servir) has no -iss- and drops a consonant in the singular: je pars, je dors. Venir and tenir are irregular (je viens), and ouvrir and offrir take -ER endings (j'ouvre).
How do I know if an -IR verb takes -iss-?
Learn its nous form: nous finissons, but nous partons. Two shortcuts: verbs made from adjectives always take -iss- (grand → grandir, rouge → rougir), and the everyday verbs of moving and sleeping (partir, sortir, dormir) never do.
Do je finis and il finit sound different?
No. The final s and t are silent, so je finis, tu finis and il finit all sound like 'fee-nee'. What you hear is the plural: ils finissent has an audible -iss-, so il finit and ils finissent sound different, unlike -ER verbs (il parle / ils parlent).
What's the difference between 'finir' and 'je finis'?
Finir is the infinitive, the dictionary form (to finish). Je finis is the conjugated form you use in a sentence (I finish, I am finishing).
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