French grammar: accord sujet-verbe

What this grammar point covers

In French, 'subject-verb agreement' means that the verb changes to match the subject in person (who is doing the action) and number (how many people).

When to use it

You use subject-verb agreement every time you make a sentence in French. The verb form must match the subject (who is doing the action) in both number (singular/plural) and person (I, you, he/she, we, you all, they).

Key forms

• je parle
• tu parles
• il/elle parle
• nous parlons
• vous parlez
• ils/elles parlent

Examples

Tips

• Always check the subject before choosing the verb ending.
• Be careful with 'vous' (you), which can be singular (formal) or plural.
• Do not forget the 's' at the end of verbs for 'tu' and 'ils/elles' forms.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs are irregular and do not follow the regular patterns (like 'être', 'avoir', 'aller', 'faire').