One of the most common mistakes people make when learning to speak French is pronouncing the “ent” on the end of the third-person plural verb, or the “they” form.
Here’s what I mean. Take the verb “nager” for example. Conjugation in the present tense:
NAGER = TO SWIM
je nage I swim
tu nages you swim
il/elle nage he/she swims
nous nageons we swim
vous nagez you swim
ils/elles nagent they swim
Skip the -end on verbs!
The common mistake here is the temptation to want to pronounce the ils/elles form “ils nage-unt” as if you’re supposed to say that “ent” sound. Don’t say it at all! In fact, ignore it. It’s totally silent.
So, you pronounce “ils nagent” the EXACT same way you pronounce the je, tu and il/elle forms: “nage”.
I hope this has helped. When reading French every time you come to an “ENT” on the end of a verb in the ils/elles form just IGNORE IT.
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