e-consonant-er Verbs Conjugation in The Present Tense [+6 Examples & Quiz]

In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about e-consonant-er verbs conjugation in the present tense.

In this lesson you will learn about:

• how e-consonant-er verbs are conjugated in French
• the common e-consonant-er verbs in French
• how e-consonant-er verbs are pronounced in French
• how e-consonant-er verbs conjugation is used in sentences in French
• how you can quiz yourself on e-consonant-er verbs conjugation
• how to practice with flashcards on e-consonant-er verbs conjugation
• how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French

Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.

By the end of the lesson, you will know all about e-consonant-er verbs conjugation in the present tense!

e-consonant-er Verbs Conjugation Table

	new ending	peser (to weigh)
je	e	pèse
tu	es	pèses
il/elle/on	e	pèse
nous	ons	pesons
vous	ez	pesez
ils/elles	ent	pèsent

e-consonant-er Verbs Conjugation Method

There is a four-step method that will make conjugating e-consonant-er verbs very easy for you.

In order to conjugate verbs that end with e-consonant-er in the present tense one must:

1. Find the infinitive (full verb)
2. Cut off the -er ending
3. Add the new ending (e, es, e, ons, ez, ent)
4. Use the “è” instead of the “e“, EXCEPT if you use the nous or vous form

In the conjugation table above you can see the verb peser which means “to weigh” in English.

We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the four step method.

1. peser

The full verb of “to weigh” is peser in French.

2. pes

Once you cut of the er ending all that is left is pes.

3. pese

When we add the new ending e its becomes pese.

4. pèse

However because it is a e-consonant-er verb we have to add an accent grave to the e making it è.

So if you wish to say “I weigh” you’d say:

Je pèse

In French, some verbs end with e-consonant-er such as peser.

An accent grave is added to the “e” making it “è“.

This is done to all forms EXCEPT the nous and vous form.

Common e-consonant-er Verbs

French has three regular verb groups

• regular -er verbs
• regular -ir verbs
• regular -re verbs

e-consonant-er verbs are a variation on regular er verbs. That is why the endings are so similar.

Here is a list of common verbs that you are sure to encounter in day-to-day life:

acheter	to buy
emmener	to take along
enlever	to remove
lever	to raise
mener	to lead
peser	to weigh
semer	to sow

Pronunciation of e-consonant-er Verbs

In this section on e-consonant-er verbs conjugation we will focus on pronunciation.

There are 4 important rules to take into account when you want to pronounce verbs that end with e-consonant-er in French.

1. The je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles verb forms all have the same pronunciation. The -e, –es, and -ent endings are not pronounced. In this case, it is just the “pès” part that gets pronounced. The “è” has a short sound.

Je pèse

Tu pèses

Il pèse

Ils pèsent

These verbs are all pronounced in the same exact way.

You don’t pronounce the letters in red.

2. In the nous and vous form the “e” has a longer drawn out sound

Nous pesons

Vous pesez

Please note the longer “e” sound.

3. In the je form, there’s a special rule. If the first letter of the verb is a vowel or a silent “h“, then you must remove the “e” of “je” and replace this with an apostrophe.

acheter

J‘achète

Because the “e” of “je” disappeared, you then don’t have to pronounce that “e” anymore.

Please note how it is NOT “je achète“. This would be wrong.

4. If the first letter of the verb is a vowel or a silent “h“, then we must perform a liason. This happens in the nous, vous, and ils/elles form. This means that the final “s” of nous, vous, and ils/elles will have a “z” sound.

acheter

Nous achetons

Vous achetez

Ils achètent

Please note how the final “s” in all of the subject pronouns sounds like a “z”

Example Sentences with e-consonant-er Verbs

The final section of this lesson on e-consonant-er verbs conjugation is about seeing the verbs in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of e-consonant-er verbs conjugation through examples.

acheter

J’achète tous mes vêtements ici.

I buy all my clothes here.

emmener

Tu emmènes les enfants chez ta mère?

You are taking the children to your mother’s house?

enlever

Il enlève les photos de la famille

He’s taking down the family photos

mener

Nous menons une vie très ordinaire.

We lead a very ordinary life.

peser

Pesez-vous plus que Jean ?

Do you weigh more than Jean?

semer

Les fermiers sèment des graines au printemps.

Farmers sow grain seeds in spring

Quiz Yourself on e-consonant-er Verbs

At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.

You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.

You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.

Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.

You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.

How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson

Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!

It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.

Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.

There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.

1. Anki
2. The Flashcards in our Courses

Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.

After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.

This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.

All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.

You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!

However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?

The Courses of Language Atlas

Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?

I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.

It never really seemed to work for me.

I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.

So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.

Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.

I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.

However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.

These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.

The courses of Language Atlas have:

• 800+ Lessons with audio
• 800+ Quizzes
• 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
• A gamified way of learning a new language
• A vibrant community (including support from me)

You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!

This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).

All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!

Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!