20 ER Verbs in French

20 ER Verbs in French : If you’re learning French, mastering -ER verbs is one of the first and most important steps! They form the largest group of verbs in French, and they follow a regular pattern when conjugated. Once you learn how to conjugate one -ER verb, you can easily apply it to hundreds of others.

These verbs are essential for daily conversation — whether you’re talking about eating, loving, working, or studying. Below is a list of 30 common -ER verbs, along with their English meanings and pronunciations to help you sound more natural while speaking.

French Verb English Translation Pronunciation (approx.)
Aimer To love / like eh-may
Parler To speak par-lay
Chanter To sing shan-tay
Travailler To work tra-vai-yay
Étudier To study ay-tu-dee-yay
Regarder To watch / look at ruh-gar-day
Écouter To listen ay-koo-tay
Marcher To walk mar-shay
Jouer To play zhoo-ay
Manger To eat mon-zhay
Nager To swim nah-zhay
Aider To help eh-day
Danser To dance don-say
Cuisiner To cook kwee-zee-nay
Voyager To travel vwa-yah-zhay
Appeler To call ah-peh-lay
Trouver To find troo-vay
Donner To give doh-nay
Penser To think pon-say
Fermer To close fair-may
Oublier To forget oo-blee-yay
Commencer To start / begin koh-mon-say
Chercher To search / look for sher-shay
Arriver To arrive ah-ree-vay
Demander To ask duh-mon-day
Rester To stay res-tay
Porter To wear / carry por-tay
Laver To wash lah-vay
Monter To go up / climb mon-tay
Tomber To fall tom-bay