Regions and Cuisine (Grammar)
Grammar
Verbs in French
A verb is an action or a state.
- Action: walk, write, cook
- State: to be, to have
I am cooking → Je cuisine.
French verb groups (by infinitive ending)
French verbs are often grouped by their infinitive ending:
1st group (-er): mostly regular
Example: cuisiner (to cook)
2nd group (-ir): regular -ir verbs that conjugate like finir (nous finissons)
Example: finir (to finish)
3rd group: most other verbs, including many irregular verbs
Common irregular verbs: avoir (to have), être (to be), aller (to go), faire (to do/make)
Subject pronouns
- je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
Verbs are conjugated to match the subject:
cuisiner (present tense)
- je cuisine
- tu cuisines
- il/elle/on cuisine
- nous cuisinons
- vous cuisinez
- ils/elles cuisinent
Direct object pronouns (me, you, him/it, her/it…)
- me/m’ (me), te/t’ (you informal), le/l’ (him/it masc), la/l’ (her/it fem)
- nous (us), vous (you), les (them)
Rule: object pronouns usually go before the verb:
- Je te vois. (I see you.)
- Je le vois. (I see him/it.)
- Je la vois*.* (I see her/it.)
Common forms beginners see
- Present tense: what happens now / regularly (Je cuisine.)
- Imperative (commands): Cuisine ! Cuisinons ! Cuisinez !
- Reflexive verbs (subject = object): se laver → Je me lave, Tu te laves, Il/Elle se lave…