Which of these 100 French verbs take être in the passé composé?

In this deck: aller, venir, arriver, partir, rester, tomber, mourir, plus all the reflexives (se réveiller, se lever, se coucher, se laver, s'habiller, s'appeler, se reposer, se souvenir). Sortir, monter, descendre, rentrer and passer take être with no direct object (je suis sorti, je suis rentré) but avoir when they have one (j'ai sorti les poubelles, j'ai monté les valises). Everything else on the list uses avoir.

What is the difference between savoir and connaître?

Savoir is for facts, information and skills: je sais son adresse, je sais nager, je ne sais pas pourquoi. It can be followed by que, où, si or an infinitive. Connaître is for being acquainted with people, places and works: je connais ta sœur, je connais ce quartier, tu connais cette chanson ? Connaître always takes a direct object and never introduces a clause.

Are these verbs used the same way in France and in Quebec?

Yes — all 100 have the same meanings on both sides of the Atlantic. The differences sit in the expressions around them: prendre une marche (Quebec) versus faire une promenade (France), and the very informal chauffer instead of conduire in Quebec. I flag those on the cards; the verbs themselves are standard French everywhere.

Do I need to memorise the conjugations of all 100 verbs at A1?

No. Start with the present tense of the ten frequent irregulars (être, avoir, faire, aller, dire, voir, savoir, pouvoir, vouloir, venir) — they carry most conversations and build other tenses. The regular -er verbs here (parler, aimer, donner, travailler, chercher and about forty more) share one pattern, and finir, choisir, réussir share another. Then learn the past participles: eu, été, fait, pris, mis, vu, dit, ouvert.

French Verbs: The 100 Most Common Verbs (A1)

🇫🇷 French · 100 cards · A1 · by Théo Marchand

These are the 100 verbs I would want in your head before anything else: the four that hold the language together (être, avoir, faire, aller), then the ones that run a normal day — manger, prendre, rentrer, ranger, conduire.

Three things to watch. The auxiliary: partir, rester, tomber and every reflexive verb take être in the passé composé, so I flag them card by card. The pairs English squashes into one word: savoir/connaître, entendre/écouter, habiter/vivre, apporter/amener. And the small spelling shifts: j'achète, nous commençons, il appelle.

Learn each verb inside its sentence — the preposition that follows it is half the battle. Where Montréal and Lyon say it differently, I say so.

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All 100 cards

#	French	English	Example
1	être The most irregular verb in French, and the auxiliary for reflexive verbs and many verbs of movement.	to be	Je suis fatigué ce soir. I'm tired tonight.
2	avoir The main auxiliary in the passé composé, and the verb used for age: j'ai vingt ans.	to have	Tu as deux minutes ? Do you have two minutes?
3	faire Used in dozens of set phrases: faire la cuisine, faire attention, il fait froid.	to do, to make	Qu'est-ce que tu fais demain ? What are you doing tomorrow?
4	aller Irregular (je vais, tu vas, il va). Aller + infinitive is the near future: je vais partir. Takes être in the passé composé.	to go	On va au marché ce matin. We're going to the market this morning.
5	dire Watch the vous form: vous dites, not vous disez. Past participle: dit.	to say, to tell	Dis-moi ce qui ne va pas. Tell me what's wrong.
6	voir Past participle: vu. On verra means we'll see.	to see	Je ne vois rien sans mes lunettes. I can't see a thing without my glasses.
7	savoir Savoir is for facts and skills; connaître is for people and places.	to know (a fact, how to do something)	Je ne sais pas où elle habite. I don't know where she lives.
8	pouvoir Followed directly by an infinitive, with no preposition. Past participle: pu.	can, to be able to	Tu peux m'aider deux secondes ? Can you help me for a second?
9	vouloir Je veux sounds blunt when ordering; the conditional je voudrais is what everyone actually says.	to want	Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. I'd like a coffee, please.
10	venir Takes être in the passé composé. Venir de + infinitive means to have just done something.	to come	Elle vient avec nous ce soir. She's coming with us tonight.
11	devoir Also means to owe money: tu me dois vingt euros.	to have to, must; to owe	Je dois partir dans cinq minutes. I have to leave in five minutes.
12	prendre Past participle: pris. In Quebec you'll hear prendre une marche for to go for a walk; in France that's faire une promenade.	to take	Je prends le métro tous les jours. I take the metro every day.
13	parler Parler à quelqu'un (to someone), parler de quelque chose (about something).	to speak, to talk	Tu parles français à la maison ? Do you speak French at home?
14	aimer With a person, j'aime usually means I love; aimer bien keeps it friendly.	to like, to love	J'aime bien ce quartier. I like this neighbourhood.
15	donner Donner quelque chose à quelqu'un.	to give	Il donne des cours de guitare. He gives guitar lessons.
16	trouver Je trouve que... is the everyday way to give an opinion.	to find; to think (opinion)	Tu trouves ça cher, toi ? Do you think that's expensive?
17	mettre Past participle: mis. Also mettre du temps = to take time.	to put, to put on	Mets ton manteau, il fait froid. Put your coat on, it's cold.
18	passer Avoir with a direct object (j'ai passé deux heures), être when it means to go past or drop by: je suis passé chez lui.	to pass; to spend (time); to drop by	On a passé deux heures dans le train. We spent two hours on the train.
19	demander False friend: it is not to demand (that's exiger).	to ask, to ask for	Il demande toujours la même chose. He always asks for the same thing.
20	rester Takes être. Another false friend: to rest is se reposer.	to stay, to remain	Reste ici, je reviens. Stay here, I'll be right back.
21	penser Penser à = to have in mind; penser de = to have an opinion about (mostly in questions: tu en penses quoi ?).	to think	Je pense souvent à toi. I think about you often.
22	croire Je crois que... is slightly more tentative than je pense que..., but in casual speech they swap freely.	to believe, to think	Je crois qu'il est déjà parti. I think he's already left.
23	regarder No preposition: regarder la télé, not regarder à la télé.	to watch, to look at	On regarde un film ce soir ? Shall we watch a film tonight?
24	écouter The to is built in: écouter la radio.	to listen to	J'écoute de la musique en marchant. I listen to music while walking.
25	entendre Entendre is passive hearing; écouter is deliberate listening.	to hear	Tu entends ce bruit ? Do you hear that noise?
26	attendre No preposition: j'attends le bus.	to wait, to wait for	Attends, je ne suis pas prêt. Wait, I'm not ready.
27	répondre Répondre à quelqu'un / à une question.	to answer, to reply	Elle ne répond jamais au téléphone. She never answers the phone.
28	comprendre Conjugates exactly like prendre.	to understand	Désolé, je n'ai pas compris. Sorry, I didn't understand.
29	connaître Always takes a direct object; it can never introduce a clause with que.	to know (people, places)	Tu connais un bon resto ici ? Do you know a good restaurant around here?
30	arriver Takes être. Ça arrive means it happens / these things happen.	to arrive; to happen	Le train arrive dans dix minutes. The train arrives in ten minutes.
31	partir Takes être. Partir de (from), partir pour (to) — partir à Paris is very common in speech.	to leave, to go away	On part tôt demain matin. We're leaving early tomorrow morning.
32	sortir Être when it means to go out, avoir with a direct object: j'ai sorti les poubelles.	to go out; to take out	Je sors avec des amis ce soir. I'm going out with friends tonight.
33	rentrer Takes être (avoir with a direct object: j'ai rentré la voiture). Very common for going home, no need to add à la maison.	to go home, to come back in	Je rentre vers six heures. I'm getting home around six.
34	monter Être normally; avoir with a direct object: j'ai monté les valises.	to go up, to get on/in	Monte, la porte est ouverte ! Come up, the door is open!
35	descendre Takes être; avoir with a direct object, like monter.	to go down, to get off	Je descends à la prochaine station. I'm getting off at the next stop.
36	tomber Takes être. Tomber amoureux = to fall in love.	to fall	Attention, tu vas tomber ! Careful, you're going to fall!
37	marcher Ça marche is also the everyday way to say that works / OK.	to walk; to work (function)	Le chauffage ne marche plus. The heating doesn't work anymore.
38	courir Irregular: je cours, nous courons; past participle couru.	to run	Il court tous les matins. He runs every morning.
39	porter Same verb for carrying objects and wearing clothes.	to carry; to wear	Elle porte une robe bleue. She's wearing a blue dress.
40	tenir Conjugates like venir but takes avoir. Tiens ! on its own means here you go or oh really?	to hold	Tiens, c'est pour toi. Here, this is for you.
41	laisser Laisser leaves a thing behind; quitter leaves a person or a place.	to leave (behind), to let	Ne laisse pas la porte ouverte. Don't leave the door open.
42	montrer Montrer quelque chose à quelqu'un.	to show	Montre-moi la photo. Show me the photo.
43	suivre Je suis can mean I follow or I am, depending on context.	to follow; to take (a class)	Suivez-moi, c'est par là. Follow me, it's this way.
44	sembler Impersonal form: il semble que... In speech, on dirait que... is just as frequent.	to seem	Ça me semble un peu bizarre. That seems a bit odd to me.
45	travailler For a machine that works, use marcher or fonctionner, never travailler.	to work (at a job)	Je travaille de chez moi le vendredi. I work from home on Fridays.
46	habiter J'habite à Lyon and j'habite Lyon are both correct.	to live (somewhere)	J'habite à Lyon depuis trois ans. I've lived in Lyon for three years.
47	vivre Vivre is broader than habiter: vivre seul, vivre bien. Past participle: vécu.	to live, to be alive	Mes parents vivent à la campagne. My parents live in the countryside.
48	manger Keeps the e before -ons: nous mangeons.	to eat	On mange à quelle heure ? What time are we eating?
49	boire Irregular: je bois, nous buvons, ils boivent; past participle bu.	to drink	Tu bois quelque chose ? Are you having something to drink?
50	dormir To fall asleep is s'endormir.	to sleep	J'ai mal dormi cette nuit. I slept badly last night.
51	se réveiller Reflexive, so être in the passé composé: je me suis réveillé.	to wake up	Je me réveille à six heures. I wake up at six.
52	se lever Reflexive (être). Accent shift: je me lève, but nous nous levons.	to get up	Lève-toi, il est tard ! Get up, it's late!
53	se coucher Reflexive (être). Without se, coucher means to put someone to bed: coucher les enfants.	to go to bed	Les enfants se couchent à huit heures. The children go to bed at eight.
54	se laver With body parts French uses les, not a possessive: se laver les mains. For teeth, say se brosser les dents.	to wash (oneself)	Il se lave les mains avant de manger. He washes his hands before eating.
55	s'habiller Reflexive (être). Bien s'habiller means to dress well.	to get dressed	Habille-toi, on part dans dix minutes. Get dressed, we're leaving in ten minutes.
56	s'appeler Literally to call oneself. Double l when stressed: je m'appelle, tu t'appelles, nous nous appelons.	to be called, to be named	Comment tu t'appelles ? What's your name?
57	se reposer This is the real translation of to rest, not rester.	to rest	Repose-toi, tu as l'air fatigué. Get some rest, you look tired.
58	se souvenir Se souvenir de + noun; se rappeler takes no de: je me rappelle son nom.	to remember	Je ne me souviens plus de son nom. I can't remember his name anymore.
59	jouer Jouer à for games and sports, jouer de for instruments.	to play	Les enfants jouent dans le jardin. The children are playing in the garden.
60	chanter	to sing	Elle chante vraiment bien. She sings really well.
61	danser	to dance	On a dansé toute la nuit. We danced all night.
62	lire Irregular: nous lisons, ils lisent; past participle lu.	to read	Je lis un peu avant de dormir. I read a bit before going to sleep.
63	écrire Nous écrivons; past participle écrit.	to write	Elle écrit à sa grand-mère chaque mois. She writes to her grandmother every month.
64	apprendre Conjugates like prendre. Apprendre à + infinitive (apprendre à nager); apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un = to teach.	to learn; to teach	J'apprends le français depuis six mois. I've been learning French for six months.
65	étudier For revising before an exam, we usually say réviser.	to study	Elle étudie la médecine à Montréal. She studies medicine in Montreal.
66	expliquer Expliquer quelque chose à quelqu'un.	to explain	Il explique toujours très bien. He always explains things very well.
67	oublier Oublier de + infinitive: j'ai oublié de t'appeler.	to forget	J'ai oublié mon téléphone à la maison. I forgot my phone at home.
68	aider Aider quelqu'un à faire quelque chose.	to help	Elle m'aide avec mes devoirs. She helps me with my homework.
69	acheter Accent grave when stressed: j'achète, tu achètes, but nous achetons.	to buy	J'achète du pain en rentrant. I'll buy bread on the way home.
70	vendre Regular -re verb: je vends, nous vendons.	to sell	Ils vendent leur voiture. They're selling their car.
71	payer Je paie and je paye are both accepted; paie is more common.	to pay	C'est moi qui paie ce soir. I'm paying tonight.
72	coûter Coûter cher means to be expensive; cher stays invariable here.	to cost	Ça coûte combien ? How much does it cost?
73	chercher No preposition. Aller chercher quelqu'un means to go pick someone up.	to look for, to search for	Je cherche mes lunettes. I'm looking for my glasses.
74	appeler Double l when stressed: j'appelle, ils appellent, but nous appelons.	to call, to phone	Appelle-moi quand tu es libre. Call me when you're free.
75	utiliser Se servir de is an equally common alternative in speech.	to use	On utilise cette salle pour les réunions. We use this room for meetings.
76	rencontrer For a planned meet-up, use retrouver: on se retrouve à huit heures.	to meet (for the first time, by chance)	Elle a rencontré son copain au travail. She met her boyfriend at work.
77	commencer Cedilla before -ons: nous commençons. Commencer à + infinitive.	to start, to begin	Le film commence à vingt heures. The film starts at eight p.m.
78	finir Model -ir verb: nous finissons, ils finissent. Finir de + infinitive.	to finish, to end	Je finis à dix-sept heures. I finish at five p.m.
79	choisir Conjugates like finir: nous choisissons.	to choose	Choisis vite, ça ferme bientôt. Choose quickly, it's closing soon.
80	changer Changer de + noun with no article: changer de train, changer de travail. Nous changeons keeps the e.	to change	Il a changé d'avis. He changed his mind.
81	ouvrir Looks like an -ir verb but takes -er endings: j'ouvre, tu ouvres. Past participle ouvert.	to open	Le magasin ouvre à neuf heures. The shop opens at nine.
82	fermer Fermer à clé = to lock.	to close, to shut	N'oublie pas de fermer à clé. Don't forget to lock up.
83	apporter Apporter for things, amener for people: j'amène ma sœur.	to bring (something)	Apporte une bouteille de vin, si tu veux. Bring a bottle of wine if you like.
84	envoyer j'envoie, nous envoyons. Irregular future: j'enverrai.	to send	Je t'envoie un message tout à l'heure. I'll send you a message later.
85	recevoir Cedilla in je reçois and reçu, but nous recevons.	to receive, to get	Tu as reçu mon message ? Did you get my message?
86	offrir Takes -er endings like ouvrir; this is the normal verb for giving presents.	to give (as a gift), to offer	Ils m'ont offert un livre. They gave me a book.
87	essayer Essayer de + infinitive. Also used in shops: je peux essayer ?	to try; to try on	Essaie encore une fois. Try one more time.
88	réussir Conjugates like finir. Réussir à + infinitive: j'ai réussi à le joindre.	to succeed; to pass (an exam)	Elle a réussi son examen. She passed her exam.
89	perdre Perdre son temps = to waste one's time.	to lose	Je perds toujours mes parapluies. I always lose my umbrellas.
90	gagner Also gagner sa vie = to earn a living.	to win; to earn	Notre équipe a gagné trois à zéro. Our team won 3–0.
91	cuisiner Faire la cuisine is just as common in everyday speech.	to cook	Mon père cuisine très bien. My father cooks very well.
92	nettoyer The y becomes i before a silent ending: je nettoie, ils nettoient, but nous nettoyons.	to clean	Je nettoie la cuisine après le repas. I clean the kitchen after the meal.
93	ranger Nous rangeons keeps the e. No neat one-word English equivalent.	to tidy up, to put away	Range tes affaires, s'il te plaît. Put your things away, please.
94	préférer Accent changes: je préfère, ils préfèrent, but nous préférons.	to prefer	Je préfère y aller à pied. I'd rather walk there.
95	détester Strong but perfectly polite; haïr exists but sounds literary.	to hate	Je déteste attendre. I hate waiting.
96	rire Short forms: je ris, nous rions; past participle ri.	to laugh	Il me fait toujours rire. He always makes me laugh.
97	pleurer	to cry	Le bébé pleure depuis une heure. The baby has been crying for an hour.
98	conduire Nous conduisons; past participle conduit. In Quebec you'll also hear chauffer, but it's very informal.	to drive	Elle conduit depuis l'âge de dix-huit ans. She's been driving since she was eighteen.
99	voyager Nous voyageons keeps the e before -ons.	to travel	Ils voyagent souvent pour le travail. They often travel for work.
100	mourir Takes être: il est mort. Mourir de faim / de soif is everyday exaggeration.	to die	Je meurs de faim ! I'm starving!

Théo Marchand

Native French · Speaks English, Spanish

Born in Lyon, living in Montréal. I write the phrases the way people actually say them on both sides of the Atlantic and mark the difference when it matters.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

Which of these 100 French verbs take être in the passé composé?: In this deck: aller, venir, arriver, partir, rester, tomber, mourir, plus all the reflexives (se réveiller, se lever, se coucher, se laver, s'habiller, s'appeler, se reposer, se souvenir). Sortir, monter, descendre, rentrer and passer take être with no direct object (je suis sorti, je suis rentré) but avoir when they have one (j'ai sorti les poubelles, j'ai monté les valises). Everything else on the list uses avoir.
What is the difference between savoir and connaître?: Savoir is for facts, information and skills: je sais son adresse, je sais nager, je ne sais pas pourquoi. It can be followed by que, où, si or an infinitive. Connaître is for being acquainted with people, places and works: je connais ta sœur, je connais ce quartier, tu connais cette chanson ? Connaître always takes a direct object and never introduces a clause.
Are these verbs used the same way in France and in Quebec?: Yes — all 100 have the same meanings on both sides of the Atlantic. The differences sit in the expressions around them: prendre une marche (Quebec) versus faire une promenade (France), and the very informal chauffer instead of conduire in Quebec. I flag those on the cards; the verbs themselves are standard French everywhere.
Do I need to memorise the conjugations of all 100 verbs at A1?: No. Start with the present tense of the ten frequent irregulars (être, avoir, faire, aller, dire, voir, savoir, pouvoir, vouloir, venir) — they carry most conversations and build other tenses. The regular -er verbs here (parler, aimer, donner, travailler, chercher and about forty more) share one pattern, and finir, choisir, réussir share another. Then learn the past participles: eu, été, fait, pris, mis, vu, dit, ouvert.

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