Semi-regular cer Verbs Conjugation in The Present Tense [+6 Examples & Quiz]

In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about semi-regular cer verbs conjugation in the present tense.

In this lesson you will learn about:

• how semi-regular cer verbs are conjugated in French
• the common semi-regular cer verbs in French
• how semi-regular cer verbs are pronounced in French
• how semi-regular cer verbs is used in sentences in French
• how you can quiz yourself on semi-regular cer verbs conjugation
• how to practice with flashcards on semi-regular cer 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 semi-regular cer verbs conjugation in the present tense!

Semi-regular cer Verbs Conjugation Table

Semi-regular cer Verbs Conjugation Method

There is a three-step method that will make conjugating semi-regular cer verbs very easy for you.

In order to conjugate semi-regular -cer verbs in the present tense one must:

1. Find the infinitive (full verb)
2. Cut off the -cer
3. Add the new ending (e, es, e, çons, ez, ent)

In the conjugation table above you can see the verb commencer which means “to start/to begin” in English.

We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “nous” form using the three-step method.

1. commencer

The full verb of “to start” is commencer in French.

2. commen

Once you cut of the cer ending all that is left is commen.

3. commençons

When we add the new çons ending, the final conjugated form will be commençons.

So if we wish to say “we begin” we say:

Nous commençons

In French some verbs change in the “nous” form so that they are easier to pronounce.

The “c” becomes “ç” before the letter “o”.

This is done in order to keep the soft c sound before the a/o/u vowels.

Common Semi-regular -cer Verbs

French has three regular verb groups

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

Semi-regular cer 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:

Pronunciation of Semi-regular cer verbs

In this section on semi-regular cer verbs conjugation, we will focus on pronunciation.

There are 4 important rules to take into account when yyou want to pronounce semi-regular cer verbs 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 “commenc” part that gets pronounced.

Je commence

Tu commences

Il commence

Elles commencent

All these verbs have the same exact pronunciation.

You don’t pronounce the letters in red.

2. The “ç” in the nous form will have a soft pronunciation.

Nous commençons

Please note the soft “ç” 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.

annoncer

J‘annonce

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

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

4. If the first letter of the verb is a vowel or a silent “h“, then we must perform a liaison. 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.

annoncer

Nous annonçons

Vous annoncez

Ils annoncent

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

Example Sentences with Semi-regular cer Verbs

The final section of this lesson on semi-regular cer verbs conjugation is about seeing the verbs in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of semi-regular cer verbs conjugation through examples.

annoncer

J’annonce ma candidature pour 2016.

I’m announcing my candidacy for 2016.

avancer

Ça dépend de comment tu avances.

It’s about how you move on.

effacer

Efface ce commentaire.

Delete this comment.

financer

Certains projets que nous finançons sont superbes.

Some of the projects we fund are superb.

influencer

Vous influencez la police, maintenant.

You’re influencing the police now.

renoncer

Les deux parties renoncent à leurs droits à un procès avec jury.

Both parties waive their rights to a jury trial.

Quiz Yourself on Semi-regular cer Verbs Conjugation

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.

Time's up

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!

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