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Les verbes en -cer
Verbs Ending in -CER
In French, some verbs end with -CER in the infinitive, such as commencer (to begin) or lancer (to throw).
These verbs are very common and follow the regular rules of first-group verbs, with a small change in some forms to keep the soft “c” sound.
Learning these verbs will help you talk about actions while pronouncing them correctly.
👉 These verbs are part of the first group and are very useful in daily conversation.
Present Tense
To conjugate -CER verbs in the present tense:
Remove the -ER ending from the infinitive.
Add the regular present tense endings:
Je
Tu
Il / Elle
Nous
Vous
Ils / Elles
Examples :
Commencer (to begin): Lancer (to throw):
Je commence Je lance
Tu commences Tu lances
Il commence Elle lance
Nous commençons Nous lançons
Vous commencez Vous lancez
Ils commencent Elles lancent
💡 Notice that in the nous form, we add -çons instead of -ons to keep the soft “c” sound.
⚠️ Remember
-CER verbs are mostly regular, except for this small change in the nous form.
The stem of the verb is what remains after removing -ER.
Add the correct endings for each subject to form the present tense.
Practice Time
In the exercises that follow, practise conjugating different -CER verbs in the present tense.
Read each sentence carefully and write the correct form of the verb.
💡 Regular practice will help you conjugate -CER verbs easily and speak French correctly while keeping the right pronunciation.
