-eler Verbs Conjugation in The Present Tense (Le Présent)

In this French grammar lesson we will learn about -eler verbs conjugation in the present tense. In this lesson you will learn about:

• how -eler verbs are conjugated in French,
• how –eler verbs are used in French,
• how -eler verbs are pronounced in French,
• how -eler verbs are used in sentences in French,
• how -eler verbs conjugation Anki files can be downloaded.

By the end of the lesson you will know all about -eler verb conjugation in the present tense!

-eler Verbs Conjugation Table

	new ending	appeler (to call)
je	e	appelle
tu	es	appelles
il/elle/on	e	appelle
nous	ons	appelons
vous	ez	appelez
ils/elles	ent	appellent

-eler Verbs Conjugation Method

This section will show you how -eler verbs are conjugated. There is a four step method that will make everything very easy for you.

In French, some verbs end with -eler such as appeler. When we conjugate appeler we have to double the letter “l” for all forms EXCEPT the nous and vous form. In those cases there will just be one “l”.

In order to conjugate verbs that end with –eler in the present tense one must:

1. Find the infintive (full verb)
2. Cut of the -er ending
3. Add the new ending
4. Add an extra “l” on all forms EXCEPT the nous and vous form

In the conjugation table above you can see the verb appeler which means “to call” in English. We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the four step method.

1. appeler

The full verb of “to call” is appeler in French

2. appel

Once you cut of the er ending all that is left is appel

3. appele

When we add the new ending e its becomes appele

4. appelle

However because it is a eler verb we have to add an extra l

So if we wish to say “I call” we must say:

J’appelle

Usage of -eler Verbs

French has three regular verb groups

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

é-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:

appeler	to call
épeler	to spell
rappeler	to remind/to call back
renouveler	to renew

Pronunciation of -eler Verbs

In this section on -eler verbs conjugation we will focus on pronunciation. There are 4 important rules to take into account when we want to pronounce -eler verbs in French.

1. In the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles form the “e” has a shorter sound. We also do not pronounce the e, es, and ent endings. They are all silent.

rappeler

Je rappelle

Tu rappelles

Il rappelle

Ils rappellent

These VERBS are all pronounced in the same exact way.

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

rappeler

Nous rappelons

Vous rappelez

Please note the longer “e” sound.

3. If the first letter of the verb is a vowel or an “h” then we must remove the first “e” in the “je” form and replace this with an apostrophe.

épeler

J‘épelle

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

We don’t pronounce the “e” in “je” but immediately move onto the “é” sound of “épelle”

4. If the first letter of the verb is a vowel or “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.

épeler

Nous épelons

Vous épelez

Ils épellent

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

Example Sentences with -eler Verbs

The final section of this lesson on -eler verbs conjugation is about seeing it in action, so you can improve your understanding on how -eler verbs are used in practice. Here are some example sentences that show how -eler verbs are used French.

appeler

J’appelle pour accepter ton invitation.

I’m calling to accept your invitation

épeler

Comment épelles-tu ce mot ?

How do you spell that word?

rappeler

Mais, il rappelle aussi des souvenirs tristes

But, it also reminds me of some sad memories

renouveler

Dans cet espoir, nous renouvelons notre engagement.

In this hope, we renew our commitment.

épeler

Comment vous épelez votre nom Marine?

How do I spell your name, Marine?

apeller

Les clients ont souvent des attentes irréalistes quand ils appellent.

Often customers have unrealistic expectations when they call.

Anki File for -eler Verbs Conjugation

It is important to do the Anki excercises for this lesson, so that you can better remember what you just studied.

By downloading the Anki File for French A1, you can practice every French A1 lesson that is on Language Atlas.

You can also choose to just get the Anki File for French A1 Verbs. This only has the verbs for French A1.

If you don’t know why you should use Anki, or if you don’t know what Anki is, then please click here.

Anki can be downloaded from here.