-E_ER - French Stem-Changing Verbs

French verbs > Stem-changing verbs > -E_ER verbs

French stem-changing verbs are conjugated with the same endings as regular -ER verbs but have two different radicals or stems. Stem-changing verbs are sometimes also called boot verbs or shoe verbs, because if you circle the forms that have stem changes in the conjugation table below, the resulting shape looks like a boot or shoe.

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.

   je  lève       nous  levons
   tu  lèves     vous  levez
   il  lève        ils  lèvent

Verb conjugation group
   acheter* - to buy
   amener - to take
   emmener - to take (amener vs emmener)
   enlever - to remove
   geler* - to freeze
   harceler* - to harass
   lever - to lift, raise
   mener - to lead
   peler* - to peel
   peser - to weigh
   promener - to walk

*Other than acheter, geler, harceler, and peler, most verbs that end in -eler and -eter are part of a different stem-change group: -eler verbs, -eter verbs.


These stem changes are not limited to the present tense; see lever in all tenses or the lesson on -e_er verbs in all tenses.

Note: Verbs that end in -é_er have a similar stem change: -é_er verbs.

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