In a previous lesson, we explored how the accent grave (è) and accent aigu (é) interact within a single word. But how do these accents function when conjugating certain -er verbs? Specifically, why do verbs like acheter (to buy) take an accent grave (achète), while appeler (to call) has a double l (appelle) in the present tense? Let's find out!

When verbs like these lose their -r infinitive ending during conjugation, a silent e remains in the last syllable, leaving us with two consecutive silent e's separated by a single consonant: "achete," "appele." Since French phonology typically avoids having two consecutive silent e's, the spelling must be altered—via an accent or a doubled consonant—to maintain correct pronunciation. Verbs that do this are known as stem-changing verbs.

One group of French -er verbs, including appeler (to call) and jeter (to throw), have a double consonant in certain conjugated forms. Basically, for the je, tu, il/elle and ils/elles conjugations, you take the verb stem (what’s left after you take out the -er of the infinitive), and double the final consonant: appell-, jett-. Then it's just a matter of adding the usual appropriate endings. But note that the stem only changes in the je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles forms, not nous or vous. So you have j'appelle and tu jettes, but nous appelons and vous jetez.

The change occurs in the present and future tenses, and the conditional mood:

Je m'appelle Nelly.

My name is Nelly.

Caption 31, Français avec Nelly Coco Chanel - Part 1

 Play Caption

Vous verrez que Nico, le voisin, a toutes les qualités d'une star et que Spielberg appellera.

You'll see that Nico, the neighbor, has all the qualities of a star and that Spielberg will call.

Captions 31-33, Extr@ Ep. 5 - Une étoile est née - Part 6

 Play Caption

Et d'ailleurs, il est prévu dans "x" siècles que la Moselle ne se jetterait plus dans le Rhin.

And incidentally, it has been predicted in "x" number of centuries that the Moselle supposedly won't flow into the Rhine anymore.

Captions 75-76, Lionel L'Office de tourisme de Liverdun

 Play Caption

In addition, there is a second group of verbs that don’t double consonants, but require an accent grave on the penultimate e instead. Common verbs in this group include acheter (to buy) and se lever (to get up):

Tu achètes une douzaine d'œufs.

You buy a dozen eggs.

Caption 50, Extr@ Ep. 2 - Sam fait du shopping - Part 5

 Play Caption

Elle se lève à neuf heures.

She gets up at nine.

As with the first group, the verb stem doesn't change in the first- and second-person plural (nous and vous), as the final syllable is now stressed:

Donc c'est un objet en terre cuite, bien sûr, ce que nous achetons

So this is a terra cotta object, of course, which we are buying

Caption 23, Canal 32 Mesnil-Saint-Loup : moines artisans

 Play Caption

Vous vous levez très tôt.

You get up very early. 

Likewise, this rule also applies to the conditional mood and future tense:

Tu achèteras une douzaine d'œufs.

You will buy a dozen eggs.

Elle se lèverait à neuf heures tous les jours si elle avait un réveil.

She would wake up at nine every day if she had an alarm clock.

What happens when an -er verb has an accent aigu in it, as in céder (to cede)? The é changes to an è! 

Les Autrichiens cèdent une partie de leur territoire

The Austrians cede part of their territory,

Caption 58, Le Monde Comment Napoléon a conquis (et perdu) l’Europe - Part 2

 Play Caption

As mentioned in a previous lesson, the 1990 spelling reform changed some accent rules, but these are not universally applied. So, for instance, you will see both je cèderai (per the spelling reform) or je céderai:

Idem pour je céderai.

Likewise for "I will give in."

Caption 31, Lionel L La réforme du français

 Play Caption

Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule to determine whether a stem-changing verb takes a double consonant or an è. But to familiarize yourself with the full list of them, click here. Just remember that in all of these cases, the stem only changes in certain persons (je, tu, il/elle, ils/elles) and in certain tenses/moods (present, future, conditional). Thanks for reading! 

French people are fond of their rivers, and one of their favorites is the Loire for its beautiful scenery and its castles. But before we explore the Loire River and its tributaries, let's do an overview of the major French rivers and some interesting facts about them.

First fun fact about French rivers: Did you know there are two words for “river,” une rivière and un fleuve? Un fleuve is a major river that flows into the ocean, while une rivière is a river (a tributary) that flows into a larger river, as Lionel explains below:

Un fleuve se jette directement dans la mer alors qu'une rivière se jette dans un fleuve.

A "fleuve" flows directly into the sea, while a "rivière" flows into a "fleuve."

Captions 15-16, Lionel Remich

 Play Caption

This fine but important distinction between the two is sometimes a matter of contention and even national pride for French people. In the following video, Lionel thinks la Meuse qualifies as un fleuve, while Roger thinks it’s both:

Si je peux me permettre, Roger, je crois que la Meuse n'est pas une rivière mais un fleuve.

If I may, Roger, I believe that the Meuse is not a tributary but a major river.

Captions 62-63, Lionel L'Église de Domrémy - Part 1

 Play Caption

Another interesting fact: Just like cities and countries have genders in French, so do rivers. You will even find a masculine version of la Loire! La Loire, un fleuve (major river), should not be confused with its masculine counterpart, le Loir, une rivière, which is an affluent of the Sarthe River:

Le Loir se jette dans la Sarthe et la Loire se jette dans l’océan Atlantique.

The Loir flows into the Sarthe et the Loire empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Besides the Loir, very few rivers are masculine, such as le Rhône, le Rhin, and l’Escaut. Curiously, most river names are not translated except for some, like le Rhin—the Rhine:

Et d'ailleurs, il est prévu dans "x" siècles que la Moselle ne se jetterait plus dans le Rhin.

And incidentally, it has been predicted in "x" number of centuries that the Moselle supposedly won't flow into the Rhine anymore.

Captions 75-76, Lionel L'Office de tourisme de Liverdun

 Play Caption

Otherwise, most rivers are feminine. As you will notice, the four major French fleuves mentioned in the video below are feminine:

Elle symbolise quatre fleuves français: la Seine, la Loire, la Saône et la Garonne.

It symbolizes four French rivers: the Seine, the Loire, the Saône, and the Garonne.

Caption 19, Voyage dans Paris Le Petit Tokyo

 Play Caption

In any case, as mentioned earlier, French people are very fond of their rivers. In her video, Claudine thinks that la Garonne does not compare with la Loire, which brings back fond memories of her childhood:

Ah oui, c'est vrai que la Garonne ne vaut pas la Loire. 

Oh yes, it's true that the Garonne is not as nice as the Loire. 

Captions 75-76, Claudine Thibout Pivert 2ème Salon du livre et des vieux papiers Mazamet

 Play Caption

La Loire offers beautiful light and scenery, which are a great source of inspiration for her art:

La Loire, c'est un fleuve magique... qui a une lumière extraordinaire.

The Loire is a magical river... which has an extraordinary light.

Captions 60-61, Claudine Thibout Pivert 2ème Salon du livre et des vieux papiers Mazamet

 Play Caption

As la Loire runs all the way across France and is the country’s longest fleuve, it is not surprising to discover that la Loire once divided the country not just geographically but also politically, during Joan of Arc’s time in the fifteenth century, as Lionel explains:

La Loire scinde la France en deux.

The Loire divides France in two.

Caption 52, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1

 Play Caption

The lower part of the Loire once belonged to le Royaume de France (the Kingdom of France):

Le bas en fait de la Loire, le sud de la Loire appartient déjà au Royaume de France...

The lower part of the Loire, actually, south of the Loire already belongs to the Kingdom of France...

Captions 53-54, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1

 Play Caption

While north of the Loire, most people were loyal to the Burgundians and to the English:

...ce qui n'est pas le cas du nord de la Loire, qui lui en fait pour quatre-vingt-dix pour cent, en fait appartient plutôt, ou est plutôt fidèle aux Bourguignons et aux Anglais.

...which is not the case north of the Loire, which in fact for ninety percent [of it], in fact, instead belongs, or rather is loyal to the Burgundians and to the English.

Captions 55-57, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1

 Play Caption

Nowadays, the Loire is a more peaceful setting where you can enjoy the world-renowned châteaux (castles) dotted along its banks and that of its tributaries. In her video, Nelly highly recommends visiting les châteaux de la Loire (the Loire castles):

Si je vous dis, Léonard da Vinci, Catherine de Médicis ou François Premier, vous me dites... châteaux de la Loire, mais bien sûr, les châteaux de la Loire.

If I say to you, Leonardo da Vinci, Catherine de Medici, or Francis the First, you say to me... Loire castles, but of course, the Loire castles.

Captions 59-62, Français avec Nelly 10 Places to Visit in France - Part 1

 Play Caption

A great place to visit is the château de Chenonceau spanning the River (rivière) Cher in the Touraine region near the Loire Valley:

Le château que tu dois absolument visiter, c'est le château de Chenonceau.

The castle that you absolutely must visit is the Château de Chenonceau.

Caption 69, Français avec Nelly 10 Places to Visit in France - Part 1

 Play Caption

Thank you for taking part in our river tour! Be sure to voyage some more with our Yabla travel videos, which will stand you in good stead for future travels to France!