tenir at A1 — the present tense
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Master the present-tense forms and start using « tenir » straight away.
The present tense
At A1, « tenir » in the present tense is your foundation — you’ll reach for it in almost every sentence you ever say. Here’s how a teacher would have you learn it: don’t memorise a table, build a reflex. Work through the forms below, then the step-by-step method, then say the pronunciation drills out loud — twice. By the end of this page, « je » and « nous » forms should come out of your mouth without thinking.
Concretely, this tense covers three jobs in English: I see, I am seeing and I do see are all the same single French form. One form, three meanings — that’s a gift, take it.
🔑 Key forms at this level
Présent
💡 Focus at this level: Basics — holding
👨🏫 How the present tense works — step by step
Say the singular forms out loud until they’re automatic: je tiens, tu tiens, il/elle tient. In writing the endings differ, but that’s the pattern your mouth needs first.
The nous and vous forms are your anchors — they almost never surprise you: nous tenons (-ons) and vous tenez (-ez).
⚠️ This verb changes its stem: tien- in the singular, but ten- with nous/vous. Learn the two stems as a pair.
⚠️ Classic mistake: the final -ent of « ils tiennent » is completely silent. Reading it aloud is the #1 beginner giveaway.
🧠 Memory hook: record yourself saying all six forms once a day for a week — the present tense of « tenir » must cost you zero effort before you move to A2.
🗣️ Pronunciation — listen & repeat (Présent)
Tap 🔊 to hear each form in a native voice, then say it aloud — most French verb endings are silent, so « tenir » forms often sound alike.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
je ___ (présent)
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tiens
tu ___ (présent)
Show answer
tiens
nous ___ (présent)
Show answer
tenons
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