Verb Être in French: Use, Conjugation, Examples, Exercises
The verb Être (“to be”) is one of the most fundamental and frequently used verbs in the French language, crucial for expressing characteristics, qualities, locations, and even forming compound tenses.
Let’s dive into mastering être!
What Does “Être” Mean and Why Is It So Important?
First, a quick refresher: A verb is a word that describes an action or a state of being. The infinitive is the verb’s basic, unconjugated form (like “to be” in English).
The verb Être directly translates to “to be” in English. In its infinitive form, Être doesn’t tell you who is performing the action until it’s conjugated. Like “to sing” or “to eat,”, but “you sing”, “they eat” “i am” does.
Être is a core verb because it allows you to:
- Describe: Tu es jolie. (You are pretty.)
- State a Condition: Nous sommes heureux. (We are happy.)
- Indicate Location: Ma sœur est en France. (My sister is in France.)
- Form Compound Tenses: (e.g., the Past Tense with certain verbs)
Conjugation of the verb être
Present Tense (Le Présent)
Le present tense of être is used for actions or states happening now, or for general truths.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je suis | I am |
| Tu es | You are (singular, informal) |
| Il/Elle/On est | He/She/One is |
| Nous sommes | We are |
| Vous êtes | You are (plural, or formal singular) |
| Ils/Elles sont | They are |
Être in imperfect tense (l’imparfait)
The imparfait tense of être is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or descriptive in the past. Think of it as “was being” or “used to be.”
The verb être en l’imparfait is a verb tense used to describe actions or states that were ongoing or habitual in the past.
| French | English |
| J’ étais | I was |
| Tu étais | You were |
| Il / elle était | He/she was |
| Nous étions | We were |
| Vous étiez | You were |
| Ils / elles étaient | They were |
Examples in the Imperfect Tense:
- J’étais ici hier. – I was here yesterday.
- Vous étiez chez moi. – You were at my house.
- Il était heureux. – He was happy.
- Tu étais triste. – You were sad.
- Nous étions là. – We were there.
- Les chats étaient grands. – The cats were big.
When and How to Use “Être”
Beyond simple descriptions, être plays several crucial roles in French grammar:
1. To Express Characteristics, States, or Qualities (Attributive Sentences): This is the most common use – describing what someone or something is like or where they are.
- Il est bien. – He is fine.
- Elle était en France. – She was in France.
- Le ciel est bleu. – The sky is blue.
2. As an Auxiliary Verb for Verbs of Movement (Passé Composé): Être acts as an auxiliary verb (a helping verb) for a specific group of verbs, primarily those expressing movement or a change of state. These are often called “verbs of the house of Être” (or DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs).
An auxiliary verb (like “être” or “avoir”) helps to form compound tenses with a main verb.
- Je suis venu. – I have come. (Here, suis is the auxiliary, venu is the main verb’s past participle).
- Ils sont partis. – They have left / They are gone.
- Tu es arrivé. – You have arrived.
- Il est parti. – He has left / He is gone.
3. As an Auxiliary Verb for Reflexive Verbs (Passé Composé): All reflexive verbs (verbs where the action reflects back on the subject, like “I wash myself“) also use être as their auxiliary verb in compound tenses.
- Je me suis lavé les mains. – I washed my hands (literally: I myself have washed the hand).
- Elle s’est coupé la main. – She cut her hand (literally: She herself has cut the hand).
- Tu t’es habillé rapidement. – You got dressed quickly.
- Il/Elle s’est levé(e). – He/she got up.
Exercises
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