Have a look at how regular verbs ending in -dre conjugate in Présent indicatif :
| new ending | vendre (to sell) | mordre (to bite) | |
| Je | -s | Je vends | Je mords |
| Tu | -s | Tu vends | Tu mords |
| Il/elle/on | - | Il/elle/on vend | Il/elle/on mord |
| Nous | -ons | Nous vendons | Nous mordons |
| Vous | -ez | Vous vendez | Vous mordez |
| Ils/elles | -ent | Ils/elles vendent | Ils/elles mordent |
To conjugate -dre verbs in Présent indicatif, remember to :
- Remove the -re ending to the infinitive form
- Add the correct endings
Listen to these -dre verbs :
Je vends ma vieille console.
I'm selling my old console.
Tu vends des DVDs.
You sell DVDs.
Il vend sa voiture.
He's selling his car.
Est-ce que vous vendez des adaptateurs internationaux ?
Do you sell international adapters?
Nous vendons un peu de tout.
We sell a bit of everything.
Elles vendent leurs légumes sur le marché.
They sell their vegetables on the market.
Pronounciation guide
Note the three singular forms endings (-ds / -ds / -d) are silent.
Therefore, all three forms of a same verb are pronounced the same.
Note also that the -ent ending for ils/elles is also silent. However, you will pronounce the [d] at the end.
-> Here are more examples for you to hear the difference:
Je réponds au téléphone.
I answer the phone.
Tu entends cette musique?
Do you hear that music?
Il descend au sous-sol.
He's going down to the basement.
Nous le rendons.
We're giving it back.
Grammar jargon
The infinitive of the verb is the unconjugated verb - jouer (to play) - as opposed to a conjugated form - je joue (I play)
The stem of the infinitive is the part before the -er, -ir, or -re ending.
ATTENTION:
Here is a list of the main irregular -dre verbs that don't follow this pattern:
- prendre Conjugate prendre and derivatives in Le Présent (present tense)
- coudre Conjugate coudre in Le Présent (present tense)
- peindre / craindre / joindre Conjugate verbs in -aindre, -eindre, -oindre in Le Présent (present tense)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Elles vendent leurs légumes sur le marché.
They sell their vegetables on the market.
Mes chiens ne mordent jamais.
My dogs never bite.
Je réponds au téléphone.
I answer the phone.
Il vend sa voiture.
He's selling his car.
Il descend au sous-sol.
He's going down to the basement.
Je vends ma vieille console.
I'm selling my old console.
J'attends le train.
I'm waiting for the train.
Tu entends cette musique?
Do you hear that music?
Nous vendons un peu de tout.
We sell a bit of everything.
Tu vends des DVDs.
You sell DVDs.
Est-ce que vous vendez des adaptateurs internationaux ?
Do you sell international adapters?
Vous attendez le docteur ?
Are you waiting for the doctor?
Nous le rendons.
We're giving it back.
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
16/04/18
Hi Olivia,
the French "on" is very commonly used to mean "we" in spoken French. So much so that it is often more frequently used than the proper "nous", particularly in colloquial French.
In the sentence you quote, one would, strictly speaking, need more context to make a definitive decision.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Rene
Kwiziq community member
20 April 2018
0 replies
L'ancienne pronociation
Je suis curieux. Savez-vous si le "ds" et le "d" se prononçait auparavant, dans l'ancienne pronociation française ?