Finir (to finish) · Présent
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Finir in the French présent is: je finis, tu finis, il/elle/on finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent. The present of finir inserts -iss- in plural forms: 'nous finissons', 'vous finissez', 'ils finissent'. Singular forms drop the -iss-: 'je finis', 'tu finis', 'il finit'. This -iss- infix is the hallmark of 2nd-group -ir verbs.
| To Finish | Finir |
|---|---|
| I finish | je finis |
| you finish | tu finis |
| he/she finishes | il/elle/on finit |
| we finish | nous finissons |
| you finish | vous finissez |
| they finish | ils/elles finissent |
Finir (to finish) in context
Sentences that use finir in the présent. Tap each to hear it.
I finish my work at six p.m.
Are you finishing your plate?
He always finishes late.
We finish this project next week.
When do you finish your studies?
They finish early on Fridays.
Working with the présent
French uses the present tense more broadly than English does. "Je parle français" can mean "I speak French," "I am speaking French," or "I do speak French" — context decides. Note that "on" (technically third-person singular: "on parle") is the everyday spoken equivalent of "nous" — French speakers use it constantly in conversation. "Nous parlons" feels more formal or written; "on parle" is what you actually hear in everyday speech.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate finir in the present tense?
What are 2nd-group -ir verbs?
How do I tell a 2nd-group -ir verb from a 3rd-group -ir verb?
Practice Finir (To Finish) in real conversations
TutorLily is your personal language tutor that catches every mistake gently and keeps the conversation going.
3-day free trial · Cancel anytime · 50+ languages
More tenses of Finir (To Finish)
Get the app