-É_ER - French Stem-Changing Verbs

French verbs > Stem-changing verbs > -É_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 -é_er, the stem change consists of changing é to è in all forms but nous and vous.

   je  considère       nous  considérons
   tu  considères     vous  considérez
   il  considère        ils  considèrent

Verb conjugation group
   céder - to give up, dispose of
   célébrer - to celebrate
   compléter - to complete
   considérer - to consider
   différer - to differ
   espérer - to hope
   exagérer* - to exaggerate
   gérer - to manage
   inquiéter - to worry
   modérer - to moderate
   pénétrer - to enter
   posséder - to possess
   préférer - to prefer
   protéger* - to protect
   refléter - to reflect
   répéter - to repeat
   révéler - to reveal
   suggérer - to suggest
   zébrer - to stripe

*These are also spelling change verbs

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

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