Conjugate regular -dre verbs in the present tense in French (Le Présent)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-09-25

Take the fastest path to fluent French

Have a look at how regular verbs ending in -dre conjugate in Le Présent (Indicatif).

Learn how to conjugate VENDRE (to sell) and MORDRE (to bite) in Le Présent (Indicatif) in French

	new ending	vendre (to sell)	mordre (to bite)
Je	-s	Je vends	Je mords
Tu	-s	Tu vends	Tu mords
Il/elle/on	-	Il/elle/on vend	Il/elle/on mord
Nous	-ons	Nous vendons	Nous mordons
Vous	-ez	Vous vendez	Vous mordez
Ils/elles	-ent	Ils/elles vendent	Ils/elles mordent

To conjugate -dre verbs in Le Présent (Indicatif), remember to :

- Remove the -re ending to the infinitive form

- Add the correct endings

Listen to these -dre verbs :

Je vends ma vieille console.I'm selling my old console.

Tu vends des DVDs.You sell DVDs.

Il vend sa voiture.He's selling his car.

Est-ce que vous vendez des adaptateurs internationaux ?Do you sell international adapters?

Nous vendons un peu de tout.We sell a bit of everything.

Elles vendent leurs légumes sur le marché.They sell their vegetables on the market.

Pronunciation guide

Note the three singular forms endings (-ds / -ds / -d) are silent.
Therefore, all three forms of a same verb are pronounced the same.

Note also that the -ent ending for ils/elles is also silent. However, you will pronounce the [d] at the end.

-> Here are more examples for you to hear the difference:

Je réponds au téléphone.I answer the phone.

Tu entends cette musique?Do you hear that music?

Il descend au sous-sol.He's going down to the basement.

Nous le rendons.We're giving it back.

Vous attendez le docteur ?Are you waiting for the doctor?

Mes chiens ne mordent jamais.My dogs never bite.

Grammar jargon

The infinitive of the verb is the unconjugated verb - jouer (to play) - as opposed to a conjugated form - je joue (I play)

The stem of the infinitive is the part before the -er, -ir, or -re ending.

ATTENTION:

Here is a list of the main irregular -dre verbs that don't follow this pattern:

- prendre Conjugate prendre and derivatives in the present tense in French (Le Présent)

- coudre Conjugate coudre in the present tense in French (Le Présent)

- peindre / craindre / joindre Conjugate verbs in -aindre/-eindre/-oindre in the present tense in French (Le Présent)

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources