This deep dive covers Les 25 verbes fondamentaux within The 25 core verbs for GCSE French. Revise The 25 core verbs in The 25 Core Verbs and the Present Tense for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Les 25 verbes fondamentaux
These 25 high-frequency verbs form the backbone of AQA Foundation French. Learn to recognise and use them in the present tense — they will appear in reading, listening, writing, and speaking tasks.
| Verbe (infinitif) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| être | to be |
| avoir | to have |
| aller | to go |
| faire | to do / to make |
| pouvoir | to be able to / can |
| vouloir | to want |
| devoir | to have to / must |
| savoir | to know (a fact / how to) |
| voir | to see |
| venir | to come |
| prendre | to take |
| dire | to say / to tell |
| mettre | to put / to put on |
| partir | to leave / to depart |
| sortir | to go out |
| donner | to give |
| trouver | to find |
| croire | to believe / to think |
| parler | to speak / to talk |
| aimer | to like / to love |
| habiter | to live (somewhere) |
| regarder | to watch / to look at |
| écouter | to listen (to) |
| travailler | to work |
| manger | to eat |
⭐ Learn These 6 First
These 6 verbs are irregular and appear in almost every AQA task. Prioritise them above all others:
| Verbe | je | il / elle / on |
|---|---|---|
| être (to be) | je suis | il/elle est |
| avoir (to have) | j'ai | il/elle a |
| aller (to go) | je vais | il/elle va |
| faire (to do/make) | je fais | il/elle fait |
| pouvoir (can) | je peux | il/elle peut |
| vouloir (to want) | je veux | il/elle veut |
Annotated model sentences
Je suis fatigué* parce que j'ai beaucoup de devoirs.
I am tired because I have a lot of homework.
- * suis = je form of être; j'ai = je form of avoir — two of the 6 priority verbs in one sentence
- Notice: être describes a state; avoir expresses possession/quantity
On peut voir que les jeunes veulent faire des progrès mais ils doivent travailler davantage.
We can see that young people want to make progress but they have to work harder.
- peut (pouvoir), veulent (vouloir), doivent (devoir) — three modal verbs each followed by an infinitive
- faire des progrès — idiomatic use of faire: to make progress
Practice questions for The 25 core verbs
What does the French verb 'être' mean in English?
Which of the following is a correct use of the verb 'faire'?