All verbs

/ʃɑ̃te/to singA1

Family
Group 1 — regular `-er`
Takes
a direct object · no object — With or without an object

Build map — what to memorise

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

The nous form
chantons
Presentprésentfollows the rule

Singular — the short stem

chant-+-e -es -e

Presentprésentfollows the rule

Plural — the nous stem

chant-+-ons -ez -ent

Imperfectimparfaitfollows the rule

chant-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Present participleparticipe-présentfollows the rule

chant-+-ant

Subjunctivesubjonctif-présentfollows the rule

Built on ils; nous and vous are the imparfait forms

chant-+-e -es -e -ent

Infinitive
chanter
Simple futurefutur-simplefollows the rule

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

Conditionalconditionnel-présentfollows the rule

Futur stem + imparfait endings

chanter-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Near futurefutur-prochefollows the rule

aller + infinitive

chanter

Past participle
chanté

Takes avoir

Passé composépassé-composéfollows the rule

avoir (present) + past participle

chanté

Pluperfectplus-que-parfaitfollows the rule

Auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle

chanté

Conjugation

présent
Ije chante/ʒə ʃɑ̃t/I sing
youtu chantes/ty ʃɑ̃t/you sing
he/sheil chante/il ʃɑ̃t/he sings
wenous chantons/nu ʃɑ̃tɔ̃/we sing
youvous chantez/vu ʃɑ̃te/you sing
theyils chantent/il ʃɑ̃t/they sing

Examples

  • Je chante bien.

    /ʒə ʃɑ̃t bjɛ̃/

    I sing well.

  • Elle chante une chanson française.

    /ɛl ʃɑ̃t yn ʃɑ̃.sɔ̃ fʁɑ̃.sɛz/

    She's singing a French song.

  • Nous avons chanté ensemble.

    /nu.z‿a.vɔ̃ ʃɑ̃.te ɑ̃.sɑ̃bl/

    We sang together.

Set phrases

  • chanter juste

    to sing in tune

  • chanter faux

    to sing out of tune

Notes

  • juste and faux are the words for in and out of tune — literally "true" and "false".