courir

Irregular Verb Courir (To Run)

Level 1

courir (to run) is a high-frequency irregular verb. In the present tense, it follows the pattern of the partir/sortir/dormir group.

How It Works

The verb courir belongs to the third group of French verbs. While it ends in -ir, it does not conjugate like regular verbs such as finir.

Present Tense Conjugation:

  • je cours (I run)
  • tu cours (you run)
  • il/elle/on court (he/she/one runs)
  • nous courons (we run)
  • vous courez (you run)
  • ils/elles courent (they run)

Key Usage Notes:
1. Physical Movement: Its most common use is for physical running.
2. Urgency: It can mean 'to rush' or 'to hurry' (e.g., Je cours à la poste).
3. Rumors: It is used to describe news or rumors spreading (e.g., Le bruit court...).
4. Auxiliary Verb: Unlike many other verbs of motion, courir always uses avoir in compound tenses (J'ai couru).

Examples (5)

  1. Je cours tous les matins dans le parc.

    I run every morning in the park.

    Word by Word: I run all the mornings in the park.

    Shows the first-person singular form 'je cours'.

  2. Nous courons pour ne pas manquer le bus.

    We are running so we don't miss the bus.

    Word by Word: We run for not to miss the bus.

    Shows the first-person plural form 'nous courons'.

  3. Le bruit court qu'elle va partir.

    The rumor is going around that she is going to leave.

    Word by Word: The noise runs that she goes to leave.

    An idiomatic use of 'court' meaning a rumor is spreading.

  4. Est-ce que vous courez souvent ?

    Do you run often?

    Word by Word: Is it that you run often?

    Shows the second-person plural form 'vous courez' in a question.

  5. Ils courent très vite !

    They run very fast!

    Word by Word: They run very fast!

    Shows the third-person plural form 'ils courent'. Note that the -ent ending is silent.

Common Mistakes

  • Conjugating 'courir' like a regular -ir verb (finir).

    Je couris tous les jours.
    Je cours tous les jours.

    Learners often try to add -is, -is, -it (like finir), but courir follows the -s, -s, -t pattern.

  • Using 'être' as the auxiliary in the past tense.

    Je suis couru au magasin.
    J'ai couru au magasin.

    Even though it is a verb of motion, 'courir' always takes 'avoir' in the passé composé.

  • Using 'courir' for 'running errands'.

    Je dois courir des courses.
    Je dois faire des courses.

    In French, you 'do' (faire) errands/shopping, you don't 'run' (courir) them.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

courirLevel 1Irregular Verb Courir (To Run)

Learn This First

To learn the present tense of 'courir', you need to be familiar with French subject pronouns and the general behavior of -ir verbs. Specifically, 'courir' follows the same pattern as the 'partir/sortir/dormir' group, where the singular forms (je, tu, il) drop the 'ir' and add -s, -s, -t, while the plural forms use the full stem 'cour-'.

Words in This Pattern

courir