Je commence un nouveau livre.
I am starting a new book.
French verb · present tense
Commencer Conjugation in French
commencer means to start in French. A regular -er verb with a spelling change: nous commençons keeps the soft c sound. In the present tense, the forms include je commence, nous commençons, and ils commencent.
Commencer in the present tense
The table shows the six standard subject patterns. The same form covers il, elle, and on; another shared form covers ils and elles.
| Pronoun | Present form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | commence | |
| tu | commences | |
| il / elle / on | commence | |
| nous | commençons | |
| vous | commencez | |
| ils / elles | commencent |
How commencer works
Commencer means to start or begin an activity. A regular -er verb with a spelling change: nous commençons keeps the soft c sound.
Commencer examples in French
Tu commences à quelle heure ?
What time do you start?
Elle commence le cours maintenant.
She starts the class now.
Nous commençons par une question.
We begin with a question.
Ils commencent leur voyage demain.
They begin their trip tomorrow.
Practice the present tense
Try five forms of commencer. Your answers count toward verb practice progress.
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elle + commencer
to start
Related French verbs
Frequently asked questions about commencer
- What does commencer mean in French?
- Commencer means to start or begin an activity.
- Is commencer a regular verb?
- A regular -er verb with a spelling change: nous commençons keeps the soft c sound.
- How do you conjugate commencer in the present tense?
- The present forms include je commence, tu commences, il commence, nous commençons, vous commencez, and ils commencent.