Present Tense -RE Verbs: Vendre, Attendre, Répondre and the Third Verb Family
Getting Started — -RE Verbs, the Third and Final Big Group
After Present Tense -ER Verbs and Present Tense -IR Verbs, here’s the third group: -RE verbs — like vendre (to sell), attendre (to wait), and répondre (to answer).
A key insight: If you learn “vendre”, the same pattern applies to verbs like attendre, répondre, and perdre.
Connection: In both -ER and -IR verbs, the il/elle form always added something (-e or -it). In -RE verbs, nothing is added at all — that’s the biggest difference.
The -RE Verb Pattern
Infinitive and Stem
All regular -RE verbs share something in common:
| Infinitive | Stem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| vendre | vend- | Remove ‘-re’ |
| attendre | attend- | Remove ‘-re’ |
| répondre | répond- | Remove ‘-re’ |
| perdre | perd- | Remove ‘-re’ |
The stem rule: Remove the ‘-re’ from the word, and the root always ends in a consonant (like ‘d’).
Main Conjugation Table (Present Tense)
VENDRE (to sell)
| Subject | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | vends | von | I sell |
| tu | vends | von | You sell (informal) |
| il/elle | vend | von | He/she sells |
| nous | vendons | von-don | We sell |
| vous | vendez | von-day | You sell (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | vendent | vond | They sell |
Important! No Ending for il/elle
- je vends / tu vends — only ‘-s’ is added (silent)
- il/elle vend — nothing at all is added, the stem alone is the form
- nous vendons / vous vendez / ils vendent — same -ons/-ez/-ent as -ER/-IR
Key insight: je/tu/il/elle all sound the same (von). Only nous and vous sound different, just like -ER verbs — but in writing, il vend (without an ‘s’) looks different.
More -RE Verbs
Once you’ve mastered vendre, apply the same pattern to these:
| Infinitive | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| attendre | to wait (for) | J’attends le bus (I wait for the bus) |
| répondre | to answer | Tu réponds (You answer) |
| perdre | to lose | Il perd (He loses) |
| descendre | to go down / get off | Nous descendons (We get off) |
| entendre | to hear | Vous entendez (You hear) |
| rendre | to give back | Elles rendent (They give back) |
| défendre | to defend / forbid | Je défends (I defend) |
Real Examples
Everyday Conversation List
1. About Yourself
- “J’attends le bus tous les matins.” → I wait for the bus every morning.
- “Je réponds à l’email.” → I answer the email.
- “Je perds souvent mes clés.” → I often lose my keys.
2. Ask About Others
- “Tu attends qui?” → Who are you waiting for? (informal)
- “Vous répondez à la question?” → Are you answering the question? (formal)
- “Elle vend sa voiture?” → Is she selling her car?
3. In Groups
- “Nous attendons le train ensemble.” → We wait for the train together.
- “Vous entendez la musique?” → Do you hear the music?
- “Ils vendent des fruits au marché.” → They sell fruit at the market.
Conjugation Practice — For Mastery
Exercise 1: Fill the Blanks
Infinitive: répondre (to answer)
- Je _____ → je réponds ✓
- Tu _____ → tu réponds
- Elle _____ → elle répond
- Nous _____ → nous répondons
- Vous _____ → vous répondez
- Ils _____ → ils répondent
Exercise 2: Complete the Sentences
-
“J’_____ (attendre) mon ami devant la gare.” → Answer: J’attends mon ami devant la gare.
-
“Tu _____ (perdre) toujours tes clés?” → Answer: Tu perds toujours tes clés?
-
“Nous _____ (vendre) notre maison.” → Answer: Nous vendons notre maison.
-
“Vous _____ (entendre) bien?” → Answer: Vous entendez bien?
-
“Elles _____ (répondre) rapidement.” → Answer: Elles répondent rapidement.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
| ❌ Wrong | ✓ Right | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Il vends | Il vend | No ending is added for il/elle — just the stem |
| Je vend | Je vends | ‘je’ must take ‘-s’, even though it’s silent |
| Nous vendent | Nous vendons | nous takes the -ons ending, not -ent |
| Ils vend | Ils vendent | Subject is plural, so the verb is too: -ent is required |
Moving Forward
Today’s takeaway: Now you know all three regular groups (-ER, -IR, -RE) — nearly 90% of French verbs belong to one of these. Next:
- The most essential irregular verbs like aller, faire, venir
- vouloir, pouvoir, devoir (modal verbs) — essential for requests and politeness
- So you can say almost anything in everyday conversation.
Your challenge: Every day, conjugate 5 verbs with vendre, attendre, répondre. Pay special attention to the il/elle form — no extra letter!
FAQ
Do all -RE verbs conjugate the same way?
No. The 'regular -RE' group covered in this lesson (vendre, attendre, répondre, perdre) is the largest group. But irregular -RE verbs like prendre and mettre follow a different pattern — those come in a separate lesson.
Why is the 'd' written in 'Il vend' but not pronounced?
The je/tu/il forms of -RE verbs take no extra ending (je/tu just add '-s' or nothing, il adds nothing) — the stem itself already ends in 'd' (vend-), and a word-final 'd' is silent in French.
What's the biggest difference between -ER, -IR, and -RE verbs?
-ER: je parle, tu parles, il parle (ending -e/-es/-e). -IR: je finis, tu finis, il finit (ending -is/-is/-it, plus '-iss-' in nous/vous/ils). -RE: je vends, tu vends, il vend (ending -s/-s/nothing, because the stem already ends in a consonant).
What's the difference between 'Vendre' and 'Je vends'?
'Vendre' = infinitive form (to sell). 'Je vends' = conjugated form (I sell). The infinitive is the 'dictionary form' and the conjugated form is what you use in a sentence.