French Verb Être: Essential Guide to Être in French

What is être?

Être means "to be" in French and stands as one of the most important verbs you'll use. It describes states of being, characteristics, professions, and locations.

Present Tense (Présent)

je suis - I am tu es - you are (informal) il/elle/on est - he/she/one is nous sommes - we are vous êtes - you are (formal/plural) ils/elles sont - they are

Example Sentences:

1. "Je suis professeur" (I am a teacher)

• Uses "suis" because "je" (I) is speaking about their profession

2. "Ils sont à Paris" (They are in Paris)

• Uses "sont" because "ils" (they) indicates multiple people's location

3. "Tu es content?" (Are you happy?)

• Uses "es" because "tu" is the informal way to ask about someone's state

Past Tense (Passé Composé)

j'ai été - I was/have been tu as été - you were/have been il/elle/on a été - he/she/one was/has been nous avons été - we were/have been vous avez été - you were/have been ils/elles ont été - they were/have been

Example Sentences:

1. "J'ai été malade hier" (I was sick yesterday)

• Uses "ai été" to describe a completed state in the past

2. "Nous avons été en retard" (We were late)

• Uses "avons été" for a past situation that's finished

Imperfect Past (Imparfait)

j'étais - I was tu étais - you were il/elle/on était - he/she/one was nous étions - we were vous étiez - you were ils/elles étaient - they were

Example Sentences:

1. "J'étais jeune quand j'habitais ici" (I was young when I lived here)

• Uses "étais" for describing a continuous state in the past

2. "Ils étaient toujours heureux ensemble" (They were always happy together)

• Uses "étaient" to express a repeated or continuous state in the past

Future Simple (Futur Simple)

je serai - I will be tu seras - you will be il/elle/on sera - he/she/one will be nous serons - we will be vous serez - you will be ils/elles seront - they will be

Example Sentences:

1. "Je serai là demain" (I will be there tomorrow)

• Uses "serai" to indicate a future state or location

2. "Nous serons prêts à midi" (We will be ready at noon)

• Uses "serons" to express a future state for multiple people

Common Uses of Être

1. Describing characteristics: "Elle est intelligente" (She is intelligent)

2. Expressing location: "Je suis chez moi" (I am at home)

3. Telling time: "Il est trois heures" (It is three o'clock)

4. Stating professions: "Vous êtes médecin" (You are a doctor)

• Être is irregular, meaning its conjugations don't follow regular patterns
• It's essential for forming compound tenses with certain verbs
• Remember that être needs agreement with gender and number in certain constructions