Recevoir and verbs in -cevoir: present pattern

Third Group — -OIR Verbs (The Recevoir Model)

Many third-group verbs ending in -oir follow the recevoir model, one of the most recognizable irregular patterns in French.

These verbs are known for:

• A strong stem change
• The use of a ç (cedilla) in plural forms
• Two very different radicals

The Key Feature: Two Very Different Stems

These verbs use:

Singular stem: reçoi- Plural stem: recev-

This creates a clear alternation between singular and plural forms.

Why the Cedilla (ç) Appears

In plural forms, the verb uses the stem recev-.

To preserve the soft “s” sound, French spelling adds a ç before “o” to ensure correct pronunciation of the s sound.

A Special Case: DEVOIR

Devoir follows the same stem alternation logic, but without a “c”, so there is no cedilla.

It uses:

doi- / dev-

Conjugation of DEVOIR (to have to / must)