French Verb Quiz: Test Your French Verb Skills

Key takeaways

• Regular -er verbs (like parler, aimer, donner) follow an entirely predictable conjugation pattern and make up the largest group of French verbs. Mastering them gives you a reliable template for any new verb you encounter
• Irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, prendre, mettre, venir, voir, savoir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir) appear so frequently in everyday French that they must be memorized in full, not derived from a pattern
• Reflexive verbs (se lever, se souvenir, s’appeler) conjugate with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that changes with the subject and must be placed before the verb
• Modal verbs in French (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir) are followed by an infinitive, not a conjugated verb: je peux venir (I can come), not je peux viens

French verbs are the engine of the language. Every sentence requires at least one, and producing the correct form in the right tense is a skill that improves significantly with deliberate testing rather than passive review.

italki connects learners with French teachers who can design targeted verb practice for your current level and give real-time feedback on your production.

This guide covers a four-part verb quiz on regular verbs, irregular verbs, reflexive verbs, and modal verbs, with answers and explanations after each section.

How to use this quiz

• Cover the answers section before starting each quiz.
• Write your answers or say them aloud.
• After each quiz section, check your answers and read the grammar notes.
• Flag the verbs you missed and review them before moving on to the next section.

Each section tests the present tense unless otherwise noted, since present tense is the foundation for all other tenses.

Quiz 1: Regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs

Fill in the correct present tense form.

1. Je _______ (parler) anglais et français.

2. Vous _______ (travailler) le week-end ?

3. Elles _______ (choisir) toujours les meilleures places.

4. Nous _______ (attendre) le bus depuis vingt minutes.

5. Tu _______ (aimer) le chocolat ?

6. Il _______ (finir) ses devoirs avant le dîner.

7. On _______ (vendre) des légumes au marché.

8. Ils _______ (répondre) rapidement à mes messages.

Answers: Quiz 1

1. parle (-er verb, je: parle)
2. travaillez (-er verb, vous: travaillez)
3. choisissent (-ir verb, elles: choisissent; note the double -ss- in the plural present tense of -ir verbs like finir, choisir, réussir)
4. attendons (-re verb, nous: attendons; drop -re, add -ons)
5. aimes (-er verb, tu: aimes)
6. finit (-ir verb, il: finit; singular forms: finis, finis, finit)
7. vend (-re verb, on/il/elle: vend; no ending added in the third person singular for -re verbs)
8. répondent (-re verb, ils: répondent)

Grammar note: Regular -ir verbs that follow the finir pattern (called type 2 -ir verbs) add -iss- in the plural forms: nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. However, some common -ir verbs (partir, sortir, dormir, servir) do NOT add -iss- and behave differently: je pars, tu pars, il part, nous partons, vous partez, ils partent. Check which type an -ir verb belongs to before applying the pattern.

Quiz 2: Irregular verbs

Fill in the correct present tense form of these frequently used irregular verbs.

1. Nous _______ (être) en retard, dépêchons-nous !

2. Elle _______ (avoir) beaucoup d’amis à Paris.

3. Tu _______ (aller) souvent au gymnase ?

4. Ils _______ (faire) du sport tous les matins.

5. Je _______ (prendre) un café, s’il vous plaît.

6. Vous _______ (venir) avec nous ce soir ?

7. Il ne _______ (savoir) pas nager.

8. Qu’est-ce qu’on _______ (mettre) dans cette recette ?

Answers: Quiz 2

1. sommes (être: je suis / tu es / il est / nous sommes / vous êtes / ils sont)
2. a (avoir: j’ai / tu as / il a / nous avons / vous avez / ils ont)
3. vas (aller: je vais / tu vas / il va / nous allons / vous allez / ils vont)
4. font (faire: je fais / tu fais / il fait / nous faisons / vous faites / ils font)
5. prends (prendre: je prends / tu prends / il prend / nous prenons / vous prenez / ils prennent)
6. venez (venir: je viens / tu viens / il vient / nous venons / vous venez / ils viennent)
7. sait (savoir: je sais / tu sais / il sait / nous savons / vous savez / ils savent)
8. met (mettre: je mets / tu mets / il met / nous mettons / vous mettez / ils mettent)

Grammar note: These 8 verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, prendre, venir, savoir, mettre) represent the core of irregular French verbs and appear in virtually every French text and conversation. They also function as building blocks: avoir and être are auxiliary verbs for the passé composé; venir is used in venir de + infinitive to describe something just completed (je viens de manger: I just ate); faire appears in dozens of fixed expressions (faire du sport, faire la cuisine, faire attention).

A French tutor can give you irregular verb drilling in context so these forms become automatic rather than looked up.

Quiz 3: Reflexive verbs

Fill in the correct reflexive verb form in the present tense. Remember to include the reflexive pronoun.

1. Je _______ (se lever) à sept heures tous les jours.

2. Ils _______ (s’appeler) Marc et Sophie.

3. Tu _______ (se souvenir) de notre première rencontre ?

4. Elle _______ (se maquiller) avant de sortir.

5. Nous _______ (se retrouver) à midi devant la bibliothèque.

6. Vous _______ (se dépêcher), sinon on va rater le train !

7. Il _______ (s’ennuyer) pendant les cours de mathématiques.

8. Les enfants _______ (se coucher) à vingt heures.

Answers: Quiz 3

1. me lève (se lever: je me lève / tu te lèves / il se lève / nous nous levons / vous vous levez / ils se lèvent; note the accent grave on lève in singular forms)
2. s’appellent (s’appeler: je m’appelle / tu t’appelles / il s’appelle / nous nous appelons / vous vous appelez / ils s’appellent; note the double -l- in the singular/third-plural forms)
3. te souviens (se souvenir: je me souviens / tu te souviens / il se souvient / nous nous souvenons / vous vous souvenez / ils se souviennent)
4. se maquille (se maquiller: regular -er reflexive, same as parler with se before it)
5. nous retrouvons (se retrouver: nous nous retrouvons)
6. vous dépêchez (se dépêcher: vous vous dépêchez)
7. s’ennuie (s’ennuyer: je m’ennuie / tu t’ennuies / il s’ennuie / nous nous ennuyons / vous vous ennuyez / ils s’ennuient; -y- in plural, -i- in singular)
8. se couchent (se coucher: ils/elles se couchent)

Grammar note: Reflexive verbs always take être as their auxiliary in the passé composé: je me suis levé (I got up), elle s’est couchée (she went to bed). The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. French reflexive verbs explain usage, passé composé formation, and the difference between reflexive and reciprocal verbs.

Quiz 4: Modal verbs in context

Choose the correct modal verb (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir) and fill in the correct form. Note: modal verbs are followed by an infinitive.

1. Je ne _______ pas venir demain, j’ai une réunion.

2. Tu _______ nager ? L’eau est super bonne aujourd’hui.

3. Nous _______ absolument voir ce film, tout le monde en parle.

4. Il _______ prendre ses médicaments deux fois par jour.

5. Vous _______ m’expliquer comment ça marche ?

6. Elles _______ aller à la fête mais elles ne _______ pas.

7. Je _______ parler espagnol mais je _______ m’améliorer.

8. On _______ partir maintenant ou encore un peu plus tard ?

Answers: Quiz 4

1. peux (pouvoir: je peux / tu peux / il peut / nous pouvons / vous pouvez / ils peuvent; cannot come: ne peux pas venir)
2. sais (savoir: je sais / tu sais / il sait / nous savons / vous savez / ils savent; savoir = to know how to do something)
3. devons (devoir: je dois / tu dois / il doit / nous devons / vous devez / ils doivent; must/have to)
4. doit (devoir, il: doit; prescribing medication intake)
5. pouvez (pouvoir, vous: pouvez; polite request)
6. veulent / peuvent (vouloir, elles: veulent; pouvoir, elles: peuvent; they want to go but they can’t)
7. sais / dois (savoir, je: sais; devoir, je: dois; I know how to speak but I need to improve)
8. peut-on (pouvoir + inversion: peut-on; this is a formal question structure with inversion)

Grammar note: The four modal verbs differ in meaning:

• pouvoir: physical ability or permission (can, may, be able to)
• savoir: acquired skill or knowledge (know how to, know that)
• vouloir: will or desire (want to, wish to)
• devoir: obligation, necessity, or supposition (must, have to, ought to, should)

Pouvoir vs savoir: Both translate as can in English. Pouvoir is about circumstances (is it possible?), while savoir is about skill (do you know how?): Je peux venir (I can come, circumstances allow it) vs Je sais nager (I can swim, I have the skill).

Bonus: Matching verb meanings

Match each verb with its English meaning.

Verb	Meaning choices
1. obtenir	a. to wait
2. atteindre	b. to obtain
3. paraître	c. to reach / achieve
4. attendre	d. to seem / appear
5. appartenir	e. to belong to
6. rejoindre	f. to join / meet up with
7. percevoir	g. to perceive
8. résoudre	h. to resolve

Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-a, 5-e, 6-f, 7-g, 8-h

Common traps:

• Attendre (to wait) and atteindre (to reach) look and sound similar but have completely different meanings.
• Paraître (to seem) is not the same as apparaître (to appear, become visible).
• Appartenir (to belong) follows the same irregular conjugation pattern as venir.

Your results and next steps

Section	Questions	Target score
Regular verbs	8	7-8 correct
Irregular verbs	8	6-8 correct
Reflexive verbs	8	6-8 correct
Modal verbs	8	6-8 correct
Bonus matching	8	7-8 correct

If you scored below target on regular verbs: Review the three conjugation tables (-er, -ir, -re) and practice with high-frequency regular verbs before moving to irregular forms.

If you scored below target on irregular verbs: Make flashcards for the 12 most common irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, venir, prendre, mettre, voir, savoir, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir) and drill each one through all six persons.

If you scored below target on reflexive verbs: Practice the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) separately, then practice placing them before common reflexive verbs in full sentences.

If you scored below target on modal verbs: Memorize the four modals’ forms and practice the pouvoir vs savoir distinction with practical examples (things you are able to do vs things you know how to do).

Practice French verbs with a tutor

A quiz tells you where you are. A tutor tells you why you are there and what to do about it. When you miss a verb form, an experienced teacher can identify whether the error is a memorization gap, a pattern misapplication, or a deeper grammar concept you have not fully understood, and then target exactly that. italki has 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, including French tutors who can drill French verbs with you in real time, assign targeted exercises between lessons, and track your progress across tenses. Book a trial lesson and get your verb conjugation to a level where it no longer slows down your speaking.

FAQ

How many French verbs do I need to know to be conversationally fluent?

Research on vocabulary and fluency suggests that knowing the 2,000 most frequent words in a language covers about 95% of everyday conversation. For French verbs specifically, having confident control of the 50-100 most frequent verbs (the core irregular verbs plus common regular verbs) allows you to express almost any idea, even if imperfectly. Knowing 500+ verbs is useful for reading and professional French. For conversational fluency, depth of control (automatic conjugation in multiple tenses) matters more than breadth of vocabulary.

Is there a trick to remembering which verbs are irregular?

There are patterns within the irregularity. Many common irregular verbs share conjugation families: venir, tenir, appartenir, obtenir, and revenir all follow the same pattern (ie, iens, ient, enons, enez, iennent in the present). Prendre, comprendre, apprendre, and surprendre all follow the same pattern. Learning one verb from each family and then mapping relatives onto it is more efficient than memorizing each irregular verb completely independently.

What is the best way to memorize French verb conjugations?

The most effective method combines three practices: (1) spaced repetition flashcards (apps like Anki) for form recall, presenting a verb + person + tense and requiring the conjugated form; (2) reading and listening to French where the verbs appear in context so the forms attach to real language rather than just tables; (3) speaking practice with a tutor who will trigger verb production in real sentences and correct forms immediately. Writing out full conjugation tables can help for learning a new verb initially, but moving to production in sentences as quickly as possible is what builds conversational fluency.