Regular -IR Verbs in French

Overview

Regular -ir verbs form the second major conjugation group in French. While much smaller than the -er group, they include many common everyday verbs like finir (to finish), choisir (to choose), réussir (to succeed), and grandir (to grow). Learning this pattern at the A1 level gives you access to an important set of verbs.

The defining feature of regular -ir verbs is the -iss- expansion that appears in the plural forms (nous, vous, ils/elles). This is what distinguishes regular -ir verbs from irregular ones like partir or dormir, which do not use this expansion. If you see -issons, -issez, -issent, you know you are dealing with a regular -ir verb.

Be aware that not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern. Verbs like venir, partir, sortir, and dormir are irregular and conjugate differently. The -iss- expansion is your reliable indicator of a regular -ir verb.

How It Works

Conjugation Pattern

Using finir (to finish) as a model:

Subject	Stem + Ending	Full form
je	fin + is	je finis
tu	fin + is	tu finis
il / elle / on	fin + it	il finit
nous	fin + issons	nous finissons
vous	fin + issez	vous finissez
ils / elles	fin + issent	ils finissent

Pronunciation note: The singular forms (je finis, tu finis, il finit) all sound identical. The -iss- in the plural forms is clearly audible.

Common Regular -IR Verbs

Verb	English	Example
finir	to finish	Je finis à cinq heures.
choisir	to choose	Tu choisis quel plat ?
réussir	to succeed	Elle réussit l'examen.
rougir	to blush	Il rougit facilement.
grandir	to grow	Les enfants grandissent vite.
remplir	to fill	Nous remplissons le formulaire.
obéir	to obey	Vous obéissez aux règles.
punir	to punish	Le professeur punit l'élève.

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Je finis mes devoirs.	I finish my homework.	Singular form
Tu choisis quel film ?	Which film do you choose?	Question
Elle réussit toujours.	She always succeeds.	3rd person
On finit à midi.	We finish at noon.	On = we
Nous remplissons le document.	We fill out the document.	-iss- expansion
Vous choisissez bien.	You choose well.	-iss- expansion
Ils grandissent vite.	They grow up fast.	Plural with -issent
Les fleurs fleurissent au printemps.	The flowers bloom in spring.	Nature context
Je rougis facilement.	I blush easily.	Physical reaction
Nous obéissons aux lois.	We obey the laws.	Formal context

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the -iss- in plural forms

• Wrong: Nous finons le travail.
• Right: Nous finissons le travail.
• Why: Regular -ir verbs require the -iss- expansion in the nous, vous, and ils/elles forms. Without it, the conjugation is incomplete.

Applying -ir rules to irregular -ir verbs

• Wrong: Je partis / Nous partissons
• Right: Je pars / Nous partons
• Why: Not all -ir verbs are regular. Verbs like partir, dormir, and sortir follow a different pattern without the -iss- expansion.

Confusing -is and -it endings

• Wrong: Il finis le livre.
• Right: Il finit le livre.
• Why: Je and tu take -is, but il/elle/on takes -it. They sound the same, but the spelling matters in writing.

Practice Tips

1. Conjugate finir and choisir with all subject pronouns daily. Pay special attention to the -iss- forms in the plural — say them aloud to hear the difference from the singular.
2. Create sentences about choices and completions in your daily life: Je choisis un café. Je finis le travail à six heures. Nous choisissons un restaurant.

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns — the pronouns used in conjugation