By CEFR level

French verb conjugation practice by level — A1 to B1

Learn verbs by CEFR level and frequency, not alphabet or grammar-book order. At each stage, drill one tense column at a time on a small high-frequency set — not every verb and every mood at once.

Many learners jump to literary tenses too early and burn out. French Bites maps levels to vocabulary banks: A1 → A2 → Vol.3 (~B1) — each with quiz verbs ordered by usefulness, not A–Z. Overview: which verbs to learn first.

Most resources teach you breadth. We teach you depth.

A1 level — the verbs you actually need first

A1 is présent-first. You do not need imparfait or subjonctif yet — you need forms you can use today: introducing yourself, eating, going, wanting, saying.

High-frequency A1 verbs (French Bites quiz order, top of bank):

• Core four: être, avoir, aller, faire
• Daily life: manger, dire, parler, aimer, étudier, donner
• Modals & high utility: pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir, voir
• More A1 staples: venir, prendre, demander, trouver, passer, penser, attendre, mettre, partir

Practice focus: yellow présent column only for months if needed. Search any verb on the A1 tab in French Bites; take quizzes from the same level bank.

A2 level — adding past tense to your toolkit

A2 keeps expanding vocabulary while passé composé becomes your default spoken past. Présent of être and avoir must be automatic — they are auxiliaries in the red column.

Typical A2 additions (from the A2 quiz bank):

• discuter, découvrir, choisir, conduire, obtenir, vérifier, présenter, rappeler, remettre, accepter

Common A2 pain point: choosing avoir vs être in passé composé — not memorizing more tenses at once. Quick reference: landing FAQ (être vs avoir).

Practice focus: A2 tab · drill red passé composé on verbs you already know in présent · one verb per session · see tense order.

B1 level — nuance, not more breadth for its own sake

B1 in the classroom often introduces subjonctif. In real life at B1, priority is still accuracy on the five core tenses: imparfait vs passé composé for stories, futur and conditionnel for plans and polite requests. Subjonctif at B1 = recognize in listening; mastery can wait.

In French Bites, upper-intermediate vocabulary lives on the Vol.3 tab (~B1). Sample verbs from that bank: profiter, souffrir, laver, traiter, recommencer, combattre, mener.

Practice focus: green imparfait vs red passé composé on verbs you use in narration — see passé composé vs imparfait (landing FAQ). Add blue futur and purple conditionnel when past tenses split cleanly in your head.

How to know which level you are at

Informal self-check — not an official test:

• A1-ish: présent of être / avoir / aller is shaky; you avoid past tense in speech
• A2-ish: you can say j'ai mangé and je suis allé but pause on auxiliaries or participles
• B1-ish: passé composé is routine; you are working on imparfait for background and je voudrais / j'irai for plans — not passé simple or deep subjonctif production

Match your practice to the closest tab — then drill there. Better to be thorough on A1 présent than to skim B1 lists alphabetically.

Same five tenses at every level

Level changes which verbs; the app keeps the same five colour columns per verb:

• Présent
• Passé composé
• Imparfait
• Futur simple
• Conditionnel

Routine: 15-minute daily practice on one verb from your level tab.

FAQ

What French verbs should A1 beginners learn first?

Start with être, avoir, aller, faire, dire, manger, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, venir, prendre, parler, and aimer — in présent tense first. French Bites orders A1 quiz verbs by frequency, not alphabet. Drill one verb at a time in the yellow présent column before adding passé composé.

When should A2 learners start passé composé?

After présent is solid on core A1 verbs — especially être and avoir as auxiliaries. A2 expands vocabulary (discuter, découvrir, choisir, conduire, etc.) while passé composé becomes your main past tense in speech. Drill the red column one verb at a time; watch être vs avoir choice — see the landing FAQ for guidance.

What tenses should B1 French learners practice?

B1 is where imparfait vs passé composé nuance matters, plus futur simple and conditionnel for plans and polite requests. French Bites drills five core tenses (not full subjonctif mastery) on Vol.3-level verbs. Recognize subjonctif in listening; depth stays on présent through conditionnel in the matrix.

How do I practice verbs by level in French Bites?

Open the app, select the A1, A2, or Vol.3 (~B1) level tab, and search or quiz verbs from that bank in frequency order — not alphabetical lists. Each verb opens a five-column colour-coded matrix plus quizzes and scenarios on the same tenses.

Related guides: verbs to learn first · tense order · daily practice · A1 section · all guides