Vivre & suivre: vis-/vit- and suis-/suit- patterns
Third Group — -IRE Verbs (The Vivre Model)
Some -ire verbs in the third group have a special stem behavior in the present tense.
The most common examples are:
- vivre → to live
- survivre → to survive
- suivre → to follow
They follow a singular/plural stem alternation similar to LIRE and RIRE, but with a twist.
Why They Are Special
In the singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on):
- The final consonant of the stem is dropped
- This prevents awkward pronunciations, e.g., je vivs would be impossible to say
In the plural forms (nous, vous, ils/elles):
- The consonant is restored before the endings
- This creates a short stem in singular / long stem in plural pattern
Conjugation of VIVRE (to live)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | vis |
| tu | vis |
| il / elle / on | vit |
| nous | vivons |
| vous | vivez |
| ils / elles | vivent |
- Singular stem = vi- (drop the final “v”)
- Plural stem = viv- (restore the “v”)
- Endings follow classic third-group patterns: -s, -s, -t / -ons, -ez, -ent
Conjugation of SUIVRE (to follow)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | suis |
| tu | suis |
| il / elle / on | suit |
| nous | suivons |
| vous | suivez |
| ils / elles | suivent |
- Singular stem = sui- (drop the final “v”)
- Plural stem = suiv- (restore the “v”)
- Follows the same short/long stem principle as vivre
Key Takeaways
- VIVRE and SUIVRE drop the final consonant of the stem in singular forms.
- The consonant is restored in plural forms.
- Singular = short stem / Plural = long stem.
- Watch out for je suis, which can mean either “I am” or “I follow.”
- Understanding this pattern makes these tricky irregulars predictable.
In the app, you will find interactive exercises and quizzes tailored for this intermediate level.
Practice French conjugation for free in the Croissant Verbs app
Quizzes and spaced repetition for every tense, for free on your phone—plus short grammar guides on our Learn hub.
