What is the difference between finir verbs and partir verbs?

Verbs like finir, choisir and réfléchir add -iss- in the plural: nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent, and the imperfect is je finissais. Verbs like partir, dormir, sortir, sentir, servir and mentir never take -iss-; they drop the final stem consonant in the singular instead: je pars, je dors, je sers. Quick test: if 'nous ...issons' works, it's a finir verb.

Which -IR verbs take être in the passé composé?

From this deck: partir (je suis parti(e)), sortir when it has no direct object (je suis sorti(e), but j'ai sorti la poubelle), venir, revenir, devenir (elle est devenue), mourir (il est mort) and the reflexive se souvenir (je me suis souvenu(e)). All the others — finir, dormir, tenir, ouvrir, offrir, courir, obtenir, prévenir, découvrir, souffrir — use avoir.

Why do ouvrir and offrir look like -er verbs?

Ouvrir, offrir, couvrir, découvrir and souffrir keep -ir in the infinitive but take the present endings of -er verbs: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, il ouvre, nous ouvrons, vous ouvrez, ils ouvrent. Their past participles end in -ert: ouvert, offert, couvert, découvert, souffert. The imperative follows the -er pattern too: ouvre la porte.

Are these conjugations the same in Québec and in France?

Yes — the forms are identical: a Montrealer and someone from Lyon both say and write je finis, nous partons, il est devenu. What differs is pronunciation (in Québec, t and d before the vowels i and u are affricated, so 'tu pars' sounds like 'tsu' and 'il a dit' like 'dzi') and a few word choices, such as souper for the evening meal. The -IR endings themselves never change.

French -IR Verbs: 40 Essentials with Conjugation Notes

🇫🇷 French · 40 cards · A2 · by Théo Marchand

French -IR verbs come in three families, and mixing them up is the fastest way to sound like a beginner. The big regular family follows finir (je finis, nous finissons, past participle fini). A smaller but very frequent family follows partir and dormir: no -iss-, and the final consonant of the stem drops in the singular (je pars, je dors). Then the outsiders: ouvrir and offrir take -er endings in the present, venir and tenir change their vowel, mourir does its own thing. Every card names the family and gives the past participle, because that is where the mistakes show. The sentences are ones I actually say, in Lyon and in Montréal.

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All 40 cards

#	French	English	Example
1	finir Model of the big regular group: je finis, nous finissons, past participle fini (avoir). 'Finir de + infinitif': j'ai fini de manger.	to finish, to end	Je finis mon travail dans dix minutes. I'm finishing my work in ten minutes.
2	choisir Finir type: je choisis, nous choisissons, choisi. Example uses the informal tu form.	to choose, to pick	Choisis un dessert, c'est moi qui paie. Pick a dessert, I'm paying.
3	partir Partir type: je pars, tu pars, nous partons. Passé composé with être: je suis parti(e).	to leave, to go away	On part à six heures demain matin. We're leaving at six tomorrow morning.
4	sortir Like partir: je sors, nous sortons. Être when there is no object (je suis sorti(e)), avoir with an object (j'ai sorti les poubelles).	to go out, to take out	Tu sors ce soir ou tu restes ? Are you going out tonight or staying in?
5	dormir Like partir: je dors, nous dormons, past participle dormi (avoir).	to sleep	J'ai mal dormi cette nuit. I slept badly last night.
6	venir Irregular: je viens, nous venons, ils viennent; être: je suis venu(e). 'Venir de + infinitif' = to have just done something.	to come	Tu viens avec nous au cinéma ? Are you coming to the movies with us?
7	tenir Conjugates like venir (je tiens, nous tenons) but with avoir: j'ai tenu. Example is informal (tu form).	to hold	Tiens-moi ça deux secondes, s'il te plaît. Hold this for me for two seconds, please.
8	ouvrir Present endings like an -er verb: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, nous ouvrons. Past participle ouvert (avoir).	to open	La boulangerie ouvre à sept heures. The bakery opens at seven.
9	offrir Like ouvrir: j'offre, nous offrons; past participle offert. For presents French says offrir, not donner.	to give (as a gift), to offer	Je lui ai offert un livre pour son anniversaire. I gave him a book for his birthday.
10	courir Irregular: je cours, nous courons; past participle couru; future with two r: je courrai.	to run	Elle court tous les matins avant le travail. She runs every morning before work.
11	sentir Like partir: je sens, nous sentons, senti. Reflexive 'se sentir' = to feel (je me sens fatigué).	to smell, to feel	Ça sent bon dans la cuisine ! It smells good in the kitchen!
12	servir Like partir: je sers, nous servons. 'Servir à' = to be used for; 'se servir de' = to use. In Québec the evening meal is le souper (dîner = lunch).	to serve	On sert le dîner à huit heures. Dinner is served at eight.
13	mentir Like partir: je mens, nous mentons, menti. Always 'mentir à quelqu'un'.	to lie, to tell a lie	Ne me mens pas, je le sais déjà. Don't lie to me, I already know.
14	réfléchir Finir type: je réfléchis, nous réfléchissons. Construction: réfléchir à quelque chose.	to think (it over), to consider	Laisse-moi réfléchir jusqu'à demain. Let me think about it until tomorrow.
15	réussir Finir type: je réussis, nous réussissons, réussi. 'Réussir à + infinitif' = to manage to do something.	to succeed, to pass (an exam)	Il a réussi son examen du premier coup. He passed his exam on the first try.
16	remplir Finir type: je remplis, nous remplissons, rempli. Example uses the polite vous form.	to fill, to fill out	Remplissez ce formulaire, s'il vous plaît. Please fill out this form.
17	grandir Finir type, built on 'grand'. Takes avoir: il a grandi.	to grow, to grow up	Les enfants grandissent tellement vite. Kids grow up so fast.
18	ralentir Finir type: je ralentis, nous ralentissons. Common on road signs (RALENTIR) in France and in Québec.	to slow down	Ralentis, il y a un radar plus loin. Slow down, there's a speed camera ahead.
19	obéir Finir type; always obéir à quelqu'un, never a direct object.	to obey	Le chien n'obéit qu'à ma sœur. The dog only obeys my sister.
20	punir Finir type: je punis, nous punissons, puni. 'Punir quelqu'un de / pour quelque chose'.	to punish	Ses parents l'ont puni parce qu'il avait menti. His parents punished him because he had lied.
21	guérir Finir type; works both ways: guérir un malade (to cure) and guérir (to recover).	to heal, to get better	Repose-toi, tu guériras plus vite. Rest, you'll get better faster.
22	nourrir Finir type: je nourris, nous nourrissons, nourri. 'Se nourrir de' = to live on, to eat mainly.	to feed	Il faut nourrir le chat avant de partir. We have to feed the cat before we leave.
23	rougir Finir type, from 'rouge'. Same pattern: jaunir, blanchir, noircir.	to blush, to turn red	Elle rougit dès qu'on lui fait un compliment. She blushes as soon as you compliment her.
24	grossir Finir type, from 'gros'. Fine about yourself, but saying 'tu as grossi' to someone is blunt and often rude.	to put on weight, to get bigger	J'ai grossi de trois kilos cet hiver. I put on three kilos this winter.
25	maigrir Finir type, from 'maigre'. Everyday word; 'perdre du poids' is the more neutral, clinical version.	to lose weight	Il a beaucoup maigri depuis l'été dernier. He's lost a lot of weight since last summer.
26	vieillir Finir type, from 'vieux'. Used for people, wine and cheese alike.	to get old, to age	Mon grand-père vieillit plutôt bien. My grandfather is aging pretty well.
27	atterrir Finir type, from 'terre'. Opposite: décoller (to take off).	to land	L'avion atterrit dans vingt minutes. The plane lands in twenty minutes.
28	saisir Finir type; also means to enter data (saisir un code) and, informally, to get/understand (je saisis).	to grab, to seize	Il m'a saisi le bras pour ne pas tomber. He grabbed my arm so he wouldn't fall.
29	agir Finir type: j'agis, nous agissons, agi. Note the fixed phrase 'il s'agit de' = it's about.	to act, to take action	Il faut agir maintenant, pas demain. We need to act now, not tomorrow.
30	avertir Finir type; stronger than prévenir, which is the neutral 'let someone know'.	to warn	Je t'avertis, c'est vraiment très épicé. I'm warning you, it's really spicy.
31	revenir Conjugates like venir, with être: je suis revenu(e).	to come back	Je reviens tout de suite. I'll be right back.
32	devenir Like venir, with être: il est devenu, elle est devenue. No article before a profession: devenir avocat(e), médecin.	to become	Elle est devenue avocate l'an dernier. She became a lawyer last year.
33	obtenir Like tenir, with avoir: j'obtiens, nous obtenons, obtenu.	to get, to obtain	J'ai enfin obtenu mon permis de conduire. I finally got my driver's licence.
34	se souvenir Reflexive, conjugated like venir: je me souviens, nous nous souvenons; être: je me suis souvenu(e). Always 'se souvenir de'.	to remember	Tu te souviens de son prénom ? Do you remember his first name?
35	prévenir Conjugates like venir but takes avoir: j'ai prévenu. The everyday verb for giving someone a heads-up.	to let know, to warn	Préviens-moi si tu es en retard. Let me know if you're running late.
36	retenir Like tenir: je retiens, nous retenons, retenu. 'Retenir une table/une chambre' = to reserve, but réserver is far more common today.	to hold back, to remember, to book	Je n'arrive pas à retenir son numéro. I can't manage to remember her number.
37	appartenir Like tenir; always appartenir à. In speech people more often say 'C'est à qui ?' / 'C'est à moi'.	to belong	Ce vélo appartient à mon voisin. This bike belongs to my neighbour.
38	découvrir Like ouvrir: je découvre, nous découvrons; past participle découvert. 'Resto' is informal for restaurant.	to discover, to find out	On a découvert un super petit resto. We found a great little restaurant.
39	souffrir Like ouvrir: je souffre, nous souffrons; past participle souffert. Construction: souffrir de.	to suffer, to be in pain	Il souffre du dos depuis des années. He's had back pain for years.
40	mourir Irregular: je meurs, nous mourons, ils meurent; être: il est mort, elle est morte. 'Mourir de faim / de soif' is used all the time figuratively.	to die	Je meurs de faim, on mange quoi ? I'm starving, what are we eating?

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

What is the difference between finir verbs and partir verbs?: Verbs like finir, choisir and réfléchir add -iss- in the plural: nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent, and the imperfect is je finissais. Verbs like partir, dormir, sortir, sentir, servir and mentir never take -iss-; they drop the final stem consonant in the singular instead: je pars, je dors, je sers. Quick test: if 'nous ...issons' works, it's a finir verb.
Which -IR verbs take être in the passé composé?: From this deck: partir (je suis parti(e)), sortir when it has no direct object (je suis sorti(e), but j'ai sorti la poubelle), venir, revenir, devenir (elle est devenue), mourir (il est mort) and the reflexive se souvenir (je me suis souvenu(e)). All the others — finir, dormir, tenir, ouvrir, offrir, courir, obtenir, prévenir, découvrir, souffrir — use avoir.
Why do ouvrir and offrir look like -er verbs?: Ouvrir, offrir, couvrir, découvrir and souffrir keep -ir in the infinitive but take the present endings of -er verbs: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, il ouvre, nous ouvrons, vous ouvrez, ils ouvrent. Their past participles end in -ert: ouvert, offert, couvert, découvert, souffert. The imperative follows the -er pattern too: ouvre la porte.
Are these conjugations the same in Québec and in France?: Yes — the forms are identical: a Montrealer and someone from Lyon both say and write je finis, nous partons, il est devenu. What differs is pronunciation (in Québec, t and d before the vowels i and u are affricated, so 'tu pars' sounds like 'tsu' and 'il a dit' like 'dzi') and a few word choices, such as souper for the evening meal. The -IR endings themselves never change.

Tags:verbs conjugation grammar

French -IR Verbs: 40 Essentials with Conjugation Notes

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