One of the first things you may want to do in French is… talk. To speak. To express yourself. That’s exactly what the verb parler means: to speak. First group verbs in french
In this lesson, you will:
Discover the meaning and roots of parler
Learn how to conjugate first group verbs
Hear authentic pronunciation with audio
Practice with real-life examples and interactive exercises
Let’s begin!
🌍 Origins of Parler – A Verb That Connects
The French verb parler comes from the Latin parabolare, which means “to converse.” It’s also related to parabola, a story or comparison — the same root of the English word parable.
Over the centuries:
Parabolare → Old French parler → Modern French parler
The same root gives us:
la parole – speech
le parlement – where people speak to make laws
🔤 The First Group Verbs in French
French verbs are organized into three groups. The first group is the easiest for learners — it includes all regular verbs ending in -er (like parler).
To conjugate a regular -er verb in the present tense, follow this formula: first group verbs in french
Remove -er
Add these endings:
| Subject Pronoun | Ending | Example with parler |
|---|---|---|
| Je | -e | je parle |
| Tu | -es | tu parles |
| Il / Elle / On | -e | elle parle |
| Nous | -ons | nous parlons |
| Vous | -ez | vous parlez |
| Ils / Elles | -ent | ils parlent |
📝 This pattern works with many common verbs:
aimer (to like)
jouer (to play)
travailler (to work)
étudier (to study)
regarder (to watch)
🔗 Liaisons: Linking Words for Natural French
In spoken French, final consonants are often connected to the next word if it starts with a vowel. This is called liaison and it’s essential for fluent-sounding French.
Take this sentence:
Tu parles espagnol.
Instead of hearing the final “s” in parles as silent, it links to the next vowel sound — creating a /z/ sound:
👉 Tu parles Zespagnol.
Here are other examples:
Vous parlez anglais → Vous parlez Zanglais
Ils aiment étudier → Ils Zaiment Tétudier
🎧 Listen to the audio to hear the natural rhythm and practice repeating the phrases.
🗣️ Examples with Parler
Here are real-life examples of parler in action:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je parle français. | I speak French. |
| Tu parles anglais ? | Do you speak English? |
| Il parle chinois. | He speaks Chinese. |
| Nous parlons portugais. | We speak Portuguese. |
| Vous parlez italien. | You speak Italian. |
| Elles parlent allemand. | They speak German. |
✅ Interactive Exercise
Try the following quiz to test your understanding of the verb parler and first group conjugations.
1. Type the correct form of parler in the present tense:
1. Je espagnol.
2. Tu anglais.
3. Nous français.
4. Ils portugais.
2. Match the subject with the correct verb form:
Je →
Vous →
Il →
Nous →
