All verbs

/bwaʁ/to drinkA1

Family
Family 5 — boot verbs
Takes
a direct object — Takes a direct object, with the partitive for an unspecified amount

Build map — what to memorise

These three pieces are learnt; every other tense is built from them.

The nous form
buvons
Presentprésentlearn it whole

Singular — the short stem

Presentprésent1 exception(s)

Boot verb — ils takes the singular stem back

buv-+-ons -ez -ent

  • ils boiventthe rule said buvent
Imperfectimparfaitfollows the rule

buv-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Present participleparticipe-présentfollows the rule

buv-+-ant

Subjunctivesubjonctif-présentfollows the rule

Built on ils; nous and vous are the imparfait forms

boiv-+-e -es -e -ent

Infinitive
boire
Simple futurefutur-simplefollows the rule

boir-+-ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont

Conditionalconditionnel-présentfollows the rule

Futur stem + imparfait endings

boir-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Near futurefutur-prochefollows the rule

aller + infinitive

boire

Past participle
bu

Takes avoir

Passé composépassé-composéfollows the rule

avoir (present) + past participle

bu

Pluperfectplus-que-parfaitfollows the rule

Auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle

bu

Conjugation

présent
Ije bois/ʒə bwa/I drink
youtu bois/ty bwa/you drink
he/sheil boit/il bwa/he drinks
wenous buvons/nu byvɔ̃/we drink
youvous buvez/vu byve/you drink
theyils boivent/il bwav/they drink

Examples

  • Je bois de l'eau.

    /ʒə bwa də lo/

    I drink water.

  • Il boit du café.

    /il bwa dy ka.fe/

    He drinks coffee.

  • Que bois-tu ?

    /kə bwa.ty/

    What are you drinking?

Notes

  • The partitive is compulsory: Je bois de l'eau, never Je bois eau. English can drop "some"; French cannot. See de-trois-kar.

  • Two stems: je bois but nous buvons. See verbes-cinq-familles.