A1 · Beginner Chapter 34

Action and Movement

4 Total Rules
40 examples
6 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock daily conversation by mastering four essential irregular French verbs that define movement and action.

  • Conjugate 'aller', 'faire', 'venir', and 'prendre' in the present tense.
  • Describe your daily movements, hobbies, and consumption habits.
  • Connect these verbs to express origins, destinations, and activities.
Master the verbs that move your French forward.

What You'll Learn

Ready for a huge boost in your French skills? This Action and Movement chapter is packed with excitement! We're diving into four essential irregular French verbs that are the backbone of daily conversation. Don't worry, irregular sounds scarier than it is; learning them is much easier and more rewarding than you think. We'll show you how they all connect! First, you'll master aller (to go). This lets you describe destinations, how you're feeling (e.g., 'je vais bien' – I'm doing well), and even future plans. Imagine saying "I'm going to Paris or asking How are you?« – »aller

makes it possible. Next is
faire" (to do or to make), a truly magical verb. You'll use it for activities, hobbies (like 'je fais du sport' – I play sports), and even the weather. From "It's sunny to I'm working,« »faire" covers so much! Then, we'll conquer venir (to come). You'll learn to express where you're coming from or arriving. This verb complements aller, helping you precisely indicate movement and origin. You can say
I come from France.
Finally, the incredibly versatile prendre (to take or to consume). This one is for everything you 'take' or 'consume' – from "I'm having a coffee to I'm taking the bus, and even I'm taking a photo"! By the end, you'll confidently talk about your daily activities, destinations, origins, and what you're eating or drinking. These four verbs weave together, unlocking countless everyday French conversations. Get ready to speak French with confidence!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'aller' to describe where you are going.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'faire' to talk about sports and weather.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'venir' to state your origin.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'prendre' to order food or transport.

Chapter Guide

Overview

Welcome to your exciting journey into A1 French grammar with our "Action and Movement" chapter! This guide is designed to give you a massive boost in your conversational French by mastering four incredibly essential and versatile irregular verbs: aller (to go), faire (to do/to make), venir (to come), and prendre (to take/to consume). Don't let the term "irregular" intimidate you; these verbs are fundamental, and learning them will unlock countless everyday interactions. They are the backbone of discussing daily activities, plans, and origins. By the end of this chapter, you'll see how these four verbs weave together seamlessly, allowing you to express yourself with confidence. Get ready to move, act, arrive, and consume in French like a pro! Mastering these verbs is a crucial step in building a strong foundation in French language learning.

How This Grammar Works

This chapter focuses on four core French verbs that are irregular but incredibly common, making them essential for A1 French learners. Let's break them down:
Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)
This verb is your go-to for talking about movement, destinations, and even your well-being.
Conjugation:
  • Je vais (I go/I am going)
  • Tu vas (You go/You are going - informal)
  • Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One goes/is going)
  • Nous allons (We go/We are going)
  • Vous allez (You go/You are going - formal/plural)
  • Ils/Elles vont (They go/They are going)

Examples: Je vais à Paris. (I am going to Paris.) Comment allez-vous ? (How are you doing? - formal) Je vais bien. (I am doing well.) You can also use aller + infinitive to talk about future actions, like Je vais manger. (I am going to eat.)

The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make
Faire is a powerhouse verb used for activities, hobbies, weather, and general actions.
Conjugation:
  • Je fais (I do/I make)
  • Tu fais (You do/You make - informal)
  • Il/Elle/On fait (He/She/One does/makes)
  • Nous faisons (We do/We make)
  • Vous faites (You do/You make - formal/plural)
  • Ils/Elles font (They do/They make)

Examples: Je fais du sport. (I play sports.) Nous faisons un gâteau. (We are making a cake.) For weather, you'll often hear Il fait beau. (It's beautiful weather.) or Il fait chaud. (It's hot.)

French Verb: To Come (Venir)
Venir helps you express origin and arrival. It perfectly complements aller.
Conjugation:
  • Je viens (I come/I am coming)
  • Tu viens (You come/You are coming - informal)
  • Il/Elle/On vient (He/She/One comes/is coming)
  • Nous venons (We come/We are coming)
  • Vous venez (You come/You are coming - formal/plural)
  • Ils/Elles viennent (They come/They are coming)

Examples: Je viens de France. (I come from France.) Vous venez avec nous ? (Are you coming with us?)

Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)
This incredibly versatile verb covers taking transport, consuming food or drink, and physically taking objects.
Conjugation:
  • Je prends (I take/I am taking)
  • Tu prends (You take/You are taking - informal)
  • Il/Elle/On prend (He/She/One takes/is taking)
  • Nous prenons (We take/We are taking)
  • Vous prenez (You take/You are taking - formal/plural)
  • Ils/Elles prennent (They take/They are taking)

Examples: Je prends le bus. (I take the bus.) Elle prend un café. (She is having a coffee.) Tu prends une photo ? (Are you taking a photo?)

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: "Tu va au magasin."
✓ Correct: "Tu vas au magasin."
*Explanation:* The verb aller is irregular, and the "tu" form ends with an "s" (vas), not just "a". This is a very common conjugation error for A1 French learners.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: "Le soleil fait chaud."
✓ Correct: "Il fait chaud."
*Explanation:* When talking about the weather in French, you almost always use the impersonal expression "Il fait" (It is) followed by an adjective (like chaud for hot, froid for cold, beau for beautiful). You don't use "le soleil" as the subject for these general weather statements.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: "Je prends mes enfants à l'école."
✓ Correct: "J'emmène mes enfants à l'école." (or J'amène depending on context)
*Explanation:* While prendre means "to take," it's typically for inanimate objects, transport, or consumption. When "taking" or "bringing" people somewhere, French uses verbs like emmener (to take someone away/to a place) or amener (to bring someone to a place).

Real Conversations

A

A

Où est-ce que tu vas ce week-end ? (Where are you going this weekend?)
B

B

Je vais à la plage avec des amis. (I'm going to the beach with friends.)
A

A

Qu'est-ce que vous faites après le travail ? (What are you doing after work?)
B

B

Nous faisons du vélo, puis nous prenons un verre. (We're cycling, then we're having a drink.)
A

A

Tu viens d'où ? (Where do you come from? - informal)
B

B

Je viens de Lyon, et je prends le train pour Paris demain. (I come from Lyon, and I'm taking the train to Paris tomorrow.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I use "aller" for future plans in A1 French?

You can use "aller" + an infinitive verb (the base form of a verb) to express near future plans, like "Je vais manger" (I am going to eat) or "Nous allons visiter" (We are going to visit).

Q

What are common expressions with "faire" for daily activities?

"Faire du sport" (to play sports), "faire la cuisine" (to cook), "faire les courses" (to do the grocery shopping), "faire le ménage" (to do the housework), "faire la fête" (to party).

Q

What's the main difference between "aller" and "venir" in French grammar?

"Aller" means "to go" (moving away from the speaker), while "venir" means "to come" (moving towards the speaker or a designated point). Think of it as "go there" vs. "come here."

Q

Can "prendre" mean "to eat" or "to drink" in French?

Yes, absolutely! "Prendre" is very commonly used to mean "to have" a meal or a drink, such as "prendre un café" (to have a coffee) or "prendre le petit-déjeuner" (to have breakfast).

Cultural Context

These four verbs are incredibly pervasive in everyday French conversation. You'll hear aller constantly for directions or well-being, faire for describing almost any activity from cooking to hobbies, and prendre for everything from ordering a coffee to catching public transport. Venir is key for talking about origins or inviting someone. Mastering their conjugations and typical uses will make your French grammar sound much more natural and fluid, allowing you to participate in authentic interactions from the very beginning.

Key Examples (8)

1

Je vais à la plage ce week-end avec mes amis.

I'm going to the beach this weekend with my friends.

Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)
2

Salut ! Comment vas-tu aujourd'hui ?

Hi! How are you doing today?

Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)
3

Je fais mes devoirs tous les soirs.

I do my homework every evening.

The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make
4

Tu fais un TikTok avec moi ?

Are you making a TikTok with me?

The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make
5

Je viens du Canada.

I come from Canada.

French Verb: To Come (Venir)
6

Tu viens à ma fête samedi ?

Are you coming to my party on Saturday?

French Verb: To Come (Venir)
7

Je prends {un|m} café au lait.

I'm having a latte.

Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)
8

Tu prends {le|m} bus pour aller au travail ?

Are you taking the bus to go to work?

Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Practice daily

Conjugate it in your head.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)
💡

Memorize the forms

Faire is irregular. Write the conjugation table 5 times.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make
💡

Stem change

Remember the 'vien-' stem for singular forms.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Verb: To Come (Venir)
💡

Double N

Remember the double 'n' in 'prennent'. It's the most common spelling mistake.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)

Key Vocabulary (6)

aller to go faire to do / to make venir to come prendre to take le café coffee le bus the bus

Real-World Preview

coffee

Meeting at a Cafe

Review Summary

  • Subject + vais/vas/va/allons/allez/vont + destination
  • Subject + fais/fais/fait/faisons/faites/font + activity
  • Subject + viens/viens/vient/venons/venez/viennent + origin
  • Subject + prends/prends/prend/prenons/prenez/prennent + object

Common Mistakes

You must conjugate the verb! 'Aller' changes based on the subject.

Wrong: Je aller au parc.
Correct: Je vais au parc.

In French, we 'take' (prendre) food/drink, we don't 'do' it.

Wrong: Je fais le café.
Correct: Je prends un café.

Always use 'de' when indicating your origin.

Wrong: Je viens Paris.
Correct: Je viens de Paris.

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job! Keep practicing these four verbs and you will sound like a native speaker in no time.

Write a diary entry about your day

Continue to: Expressing Intentions

Quick Practice (10)

Conjugate 'faire' for 'Je'.

___ du sport.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fais
Je fais.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make

Fix the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nous prendons le train.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous prenons
The stem is 'pren-'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)

Conjugate aller.

Je ___ au parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vais
Je takes vais.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nous venons de manger (Correct/Incorrect)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Correct
Correct structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Verb: To Come (Venir)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Je faises du sport.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je fais du sport
Faire is irregular.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make

Choose the correct form for 'Ils'.

Ils ___ le bus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: prennent
Ils requires the double 'n' form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)

Choose the correct form for 'Nous'.

Nous ___ nos devoirs.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: faisons
Nous faisons.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Verb Faire: To Do & To Make

Select the correct form.

Ils ___ de Paris.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: viennent
Ils takes 'viennent'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Verb: To Come (Venir)

Conjugate 'prendre' for 'Je'.

___ un café.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: prends
Je takes the 'prends' form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Mastering "Taking" & "Eating" (prendre)

Conjugate venir.

Je ___ (venir) à la fête.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: viens
Je takes 'viens'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Verb: To Come (Venir)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, it is highly irregular.
No, it is irregular. You must memorize the forms.
Use 'faire' for general activities and 'jouer' for games/sports with balls.
No, it is highly irregular.
It's a specific irregular spelling pattern for the third-person plural.
No, it is an irregular verb. You must memorize the stems.
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Describing Your World
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Expressing Intentions
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