1.45: Verbes avec des changements orthographiques

Verbes en -CER

In the present tense and the imperative, this c > ç spelling change is found only in the nous conjugation:

☞ nous commençons le devoir. We are starting the homework

All verbs that end in -cer undergo this spelling change, including

Verbes en -GER

In the present tense and the imperative, this g > ge spelling change is found only in the nous conjugation:

☞ nous mangeons. We are eating.

All verbs that end in -ger undergo this spelling change, including

Verbes en -E___ER

For the present tense of verbs that end in -e_er, where _ indicates one or more consonants,* the stem change consists of changing the e before that consonant to è in all forms but nous and vous.

All verbs that end in -e_er undergo this spelling change, including

Verbes en -YER

All verbs that end in -yer are stem-changing verbs, but there are two different varieties:

1. Verbs that end in -ayer have an optional stem change
2. Verbs that end in -oyer and -uyer have a required stem change

❑ -ayer verbs

In the present tense, -ayer verbs have an optional stem change: y changes to i in all forms but nous and vous.

Or keep the regular conjugaison of en -er verb

These two sets of conjugations for -ayer verbs are equally acceptable.

All verbs that end in -ayer undergo this spelling change, including

❑ -oyer verbs

In the present tense, French verbs that end in -oyer and -uyer must change y to i in all forms but nous and vous.

All verbs that end in -oyer undergo this spelling change, including

❑ -uyer verbs

All verbs that end in -uyer undergo this spelling change, including

Conjugation With Same Endings

French stem-changing verbs are conjugated with the same endings as regular -ER verbs but have two different radicals or stems. These stem changes occur in several French tenses and moods and moods, as shown in the following table. Remember that the stem-change for is optional for -ayer verbs and required for -oyer and -uyer verbs.