Introduction to Être (to be)
The French verb être (to be) is just as it’s English equivalent one of the most essential and frequently used verbs in the language. From just saying where you are to specific expressions, être is crucial for anyone learning French.
This article will guide you through the different uses of être, its conjugation, and provide examples to illustrate its usage.
Conjugation of Être
The verb être is highly irregular as you can see below. It is one of the most irregular French verbs and needs to be memorized. Here are its conjugations in some of the most commonly used tenses:
| Present | Imperfect | Passé composé | Futur simple | Conditional | Subjunctive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je/j’ | suis | étais | ai été | serai | serais | sois |
| Tu | es | étais | as été | seras | serais | sois |
| Il/Elle | est | était | a été | sera | serait | soit |
| Nous | sommes | étions | avons été | serons | serions | soyons |
| Vous | êtes | étiez | avez été | serez | seriez | soyez |
| Ils/Elles | sont | étaient | ont été | seront | seraient | soient |
You can take a look at the full conjugation table of être here
How to use Être
Using être for state of being
Être is primarily used to describe being something. This can be for longer times like a profession or nationality or something temporary like an emotional state. These states can be physical, emotional, or situational and typically change over time.
- Je suis fatigué
- I am tired
- Ils sont à Paris
- They are in Paris
- Il est assoiffé après avoir couru pendant une heure.
- He is thirsty after running for an hour.
- Elle est malade depuis hier soir et reste au lit
- She is sick since last night and stays in bed
- Nous sommes prêts.
- We are ready.
- Elle est médecin
- She is a doctor
- Nous sommes français
- We are French
Using être for descriptions
Être is often used with adjectives to describe people or things.
- La maison est grande
- The house is big
- Il est gentil
- He is kind
Passive Voice: In the passive voice, être is combined with a past participle to indicate that the subject is acted upon.
- La lettre est écrite par Marie
- The letter is written by Marie
Existential Sentences: Être can be used to express existence or presence.
- Il y a (there is/there are) is an idiomatic expression that uses a different construction but serves a similar function. Learn more about il y a here
Age: Unlike English, where “to be” is used to talk about age, in French, the verb avoir (to have) is used instead of être
- J’ai 20 ans.
- I am 20 years old
Idiomatic Expressions: Être is part of many idiomatic expressions.
- Être en train de (doing something):
- Je suis en train de manger
- I am eating
- Être d’accord (to agree):
- Je suis d’accord avec toi
- I agree with you
Read more