parles

Parles is the second person singular present indicative form of the French verb parler, meaning to speak or to talk. It is used with the informal subject pronoun tu to indicate that you speak in the present tense. The infinitive is parler; the verb belongs to the regular -er verb class, which in the present tense yields je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent.

Usage is typical in statements, questions, and negations. For example: Tu parles français ? (Do you speak French?) or Tu parles anglais ? (Do you speak English?). In negative constructions, ne and pas surround the verb: Tu ne parles pas anglais. In informal spoken French, inversion questions can be used as well: Parles-tu anglais ?

Parles also appears in common idiomatic expressions. The interjection Tu parles! expresses disbelief or sarcasm, roughly equivalent to "Yeah, right!" or "As if!"

Phonology and grammar notes: parles is usually pronounced with a silent final s in ordinary speech, though a liaison may occur in careful or formal speech before a following vowel, as in parles-tu. The form parles is tied to the subject pronoun tu; other persons use different endings: je parle, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent. The verb’s present participle is parlant, and the noun form parler refers to the act of speaking.

See also: parler, its base form; other present tense forms; related phrases and idioms in French. The construction with tu is common in informal conversation and is one of the standard ways to address someone in present-tense dialogue.