User: I need help with understanding conjugation rules for French verbs.
Assistant: Conjugation in French can be tricky to understand at first, however there are some base rules that can be followed. First of all, all French verbs are split into three categories: regular, stem-changing and irregular. Regular verbs are the simplest to conjugate since they follow a predictable pattern. To conjugate a regular verb, you take the infinitive form of the verb and remove the “-er”, “-ir”, or “-re” ending to get the verb stem. The verb stem will not change for any person or tense. Once you have the verb stem, conjugating a regular verb is simply a matter of adding the appropriate endings. Stem-changing verbs are regular verbs whose stems change in certain conjugations. The regular endings are the same as those used for regular verbs, but the stem changes depending on the person or tense. Irregular verbs are the most complex. These verbs do not follow any predictable pattern and must simply be memorized.