* Verbs change form: French verbs have multiple conjugations (forms) depending on tense, person, and number. It's not clear if we should count each conjugation as a separate verb.
* New verbs are created: The French language is constantly evolving, with new verbs being created through borrowing, compounding, or other processes.
* Verb classification is complex: There are different ways to classify verbs (regular vs. irregular, transitive vs. intransitive, etc.) which makes counting them tricky.
However, we can estimate:
* Dictionaries: French dictionaries list around 10,000-15,000 verbs, but this includes various forms and often excludes rare or archaic verbs.
* Linguistic studies: Linguistic research suggests that the French language has a core of around 2,000 frequently used verbs.
So, while we can't give a precise figure, the French language has a vast and complex verb system with a large number of verbs used in everyday speech and writing.