The 20 Most Common French Verbs and How to Use Them in Context
When learning French, it's easy to get overwhelmed by long lists of nouns and verbs. But here’s the good news: a small number of verbs appear in most conversations. Learning these high-frequency verbs will help you understand daily French, build sentences with confidence, and improve your fluency fast.
In this article, we’ll cover the 20 most common French verbs, show you how to conjugate them in the present tense, and give you day-to-day examples to make learning easier.
📌 Why Focus on Verbs?
These verbs are essential for everyday communication and will give a nice firm basis for your French speaking skills, so mastering these verbs will serve as a foundation for all further progress.
🔟 Top 20 French Verbs (with Examples in Context)
Verb - Meaning - Example Sentence
Être - to be - Je suis fatigué. – I am tired.
Avoir - to have - Elle a deux enfants. – She has two children.
Faire - to do/make - Nous faisons la cuisine. – We are cooking.
Aller - to go - Je vais au travail. – I’m going to work.
Dire - to say/tell - Il dit toujours la vérité. – He always tells the truth.
Pouvoir - can / to be able to - Tu peux venir ? – Can you come?
Vouloir - to want - Je veux apprendre le français. – I want to learn French.
Devoir - must / to have to - Je dois étudier ce soir. – I have to study tonight.
Prendre - to take - Ils prennent le bus. – They take the bus.
Mettre - to put - Elle met son manteau. – She puts on her coat.
Savoir - to know (facts) - Je sais la réponse. – I know the answer.
Connaître - to know (people/places) - Je connais cette ville. – I know this city.
Venir - to come - Tu viens chez moi ? – Are you coming to my place?
Voir - to see - Nous voyons la tour. – We see the tower.
Parler - to speak - Je parle français. – I speak French.
Manger - to eat - Ils mangent à midi. – They eat at noon.
Finir - to finish - Je finis mes devoirs. – I’m finishing my homework.
Lire - to read - Elle lit un roman. – She’s reading a novel.
Écrire - to write - Il écrit une lettre. – He’s writing a letter.
Comprendre - to understand - Vous comprenez ? – Do you understand?
🧠 Tips for Learning French Verbs Effectively
Focus on present tense first – It’s used in everyday conversation, narration, and even for near-future events.
Learn verbs in phrases – Memorise je vais au travail instead of just aller.
Conjugation patterns help – Many verbs like parler, manger, finir follow regular patterns. Others (être, avoir, aller) are irregular and must be learned separately.
Practice daily – Use apps, flashcards, or work with a teacher to repeat and practice speaking.
🎯 Why This Matters
Fluency isn’t about knowing 500 verbs—it’s about using the right ones well. The 20 verbs above form the backbone of French grammar and help you express your needs, feelings, thoughts, and actions in real time.
At Educateme, our French courses help learners move from theory to confident conversation. We go beyond rote memorisation by teaching verbs in full, useful sentences—perfect for work, travel, exams, or daily life in Luxembourg.
📘 Want to start speaking French confidently with just 20 verbs?
Book your free consultation and join hundreds of learners building real fluency with Educateme: https://Educateme.lu/#courses