3/6/2020 French -ier Verbs - Lawless French Verb Conjugations

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Regular -ier Verbs

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 3/6/2020 French -ier Verbs - Lawless French Verb Conjugations

Verbes du premier groupe

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French verbs that end in –ier are regular -er verbs (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/regular-er-verbs/), but that -i- in front of the infinitive
(https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/infinitive/) ending can be a little confusing, so here’s a closer look.

–ier verbs take the regular -er verb endings:

je -e   nous   -ons

tu -es   vous -ez

il -e   ils -ent

Once you remove the -er ending from the infinitive, you’re left with a stem that ends in -i, so of course that letter must be maintained in all the conjugations.

Par exemple…

copier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/copier/) (to copy)

je copie   nous   copions

tu copies   vous copiez

il/elle/on copie   ils/elles copient

Easy enough, right? You’ll note that the nous and vous forms end in –ions and –iez, respectively, which might remind you of the imperfect
(https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/imperfect/) and subjunctive (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/subjunctive/). Just remember that for –ier
verbs, the -i- is part of the stem, not the ending, so a single i before the ending indicates the present tense.

 Here’s where it gets confusing. You know that the stem ends in -i, and you know that the nous and vous imperfect and subjunctive endings begin with -i, so
what happens when you want to conjugate them into those verb forms? You end up with -ii-.

  imperfect subjunctive

je copiais copie

tu copiais copies

il/elle/on copiait copie

nous   copiions copiions

vous copiiez copiiez

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 3/6/2020 French -ier Verbs - Lawless French Verb Conjugations

ils/elles copiaient copient

That -ii- in the nous and vous forms does more than just look weird; it also has to be pronounced.

  Compare

nous   copions (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/wavs/copions.wav) copiions (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/wavs/copiions.wav)

  [kuh pyo(n)] [kuh pi yo(n)]

vous   copiez (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/wavs/copiez.wav) copiiez (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/wavs/copiiez.wav)

  [kuh pyay] [kuh pi yay]

So there you have it – just a bit of weirdness to add to all that French verb conjugation fun.  🙂

French -ier verbs

allier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/allier/)   to ally

amplifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/amplifier/)   to amplify

apprécier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/apprecier/)   to appreciate

approprier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/approprier/)   to suit, adapt

associer (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/associer/)   to associate

balbutier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/balbutier/)   to stammer, babble

bénéficier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/beneficier/)   to benefit

certifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/certifier/)   to certify

châtier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/chatier/)   to chastise

confier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/confier/)   to confide

copier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/copier/)   to copy

crier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/crier/)   to scream

dédier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/dedier/)   to dedicate

défier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/defier/)   to challenge

licencier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/licencier/)   to lay off, dismiss

identifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/identifier/)   to identify

justifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/justifier/)   to justify

s’écrier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/ecrier/)   to exclaim

étudier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/etudier/)   to study

se fier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/fier/)   to trust, rely on

lier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/lier/)   to bind, link

marier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/marier/)   to marry

se méfier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/mefier/)   to mistrust

modifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/modifier/)   to modify

multiplier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/multiplier/)   to multiply

négocier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/negocier/)   to negotiate

nier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/nier/)   to deny

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oublier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/oublier/)   to forget

pallier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/pallier/)   to overcome, compensate for

parier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/parier/)   to bet, wager

planifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/planifier/)   to plan

plier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/plier/)   to fold, bend

prier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/prier/)   to pray

rassasier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/rassasier/)   to satisfy

rectifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/rectifier/)   to rectify

remercier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/remercier/)   to thank

répudier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/repudier/)   to repudiate

scier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/scier/)   to saw

simplifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/simplifier/)   to simplify

signifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/signifier/)   to signify, mean

skier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/skier/)   to ski

se soucier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/soucier/)   to care

spécifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/specifier/)   to specify

strier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/strier/)   to streak, ridge

vérifier (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/verb-conjugations/verifier/)   to verify

 Related lessons
Regular -er verbs (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/regular-er-verbs/)

Present tense (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/present-tense/)

Imperfect (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/imperfect/)

Subjunctive (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/subjunctive/)

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FRENCH VERBS

Most common verbs

aller être (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/etre- savoir

(https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/aller- lesson/) (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/savoir-
lesson/) faire (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/faire- lesson/)
avoir lesson/) tenir
(https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/avoir- falloir (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/falloir- (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/tenir-
lesson/) lesson/) lesson/)
croire manquer vivre
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lesson/) lesson/) vivre/)
devoir pouvoir voir (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/vo
(https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/devoir- (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/pouvoir- lesson/)
lesson/) lesson/) vouloir
dire (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/dire- (https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/vouloir
lesson/) lesson/)

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