Language/French/Grammar/How-to-Use-be

French Grammar - How to Use "be"

Hi French learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "être" (to be) in French. We will look at the conjugation of the verb, its usage in sentences, and some examples.

Conjugation

The verb "être" is an irregular verb, which means that it does not follow the same conjugation pattern as regular verbs. Here is the conjugation of the verb "être" in the present tense:

Person	Pronunciation	French	English
Je	/ɛtʁ/	suis	I am
Tu	/ɛtʁ/	es	You are
Il/Elle/On	/ɛtʁ/	est	He/She/One is
Nous	/ɛtʁ/	sommes	We are
Vous	/ɛtʁ/	êtes	You are
Ils/Elles	/ɛtʁ/	sont	They are

Usage

The verb "être" is used to express a state of being or existence. It is also used to describe physical characteristics, such as age, nationality, and occupation. Here are some examples:

• Person 1: Quel âge as-tu? (/kɛl aʒ a ty/) (What is your age?)
• Person 2: J'ai vingt ans. (/ʒe vẽ tɑ̃/) (I am twenty years old.)

• Person 1: Quelle est ta nationalité? (/kɛl ɛ ta nasjɔnalite/) (What is your nationality?)
• Person 2: Je suis française. (/ʒə sɥi fʁɑ̃sɛz/) (I am French.)

• Person 1: Quelle est ta profession? (/kɛl ɛ ta pʁɔfesjɔ̃/) (What is your profession?)
• Person 2: Je suis professeur. (/ʒə sɥi pʁɔfesœʁ/) (I am a teacher.)

Examples

Here are some examples of sentences using the verb "être":

• Je suis fatigué. (/ʒə sɥi fatiɡe/) (I am tired.)
• Tu es très intelligent. (/ty ɛ tʁεz ɛ̃teʁlijɑ̃/) (You are very intelligent.)
• Il est grand. (/il ɛ ɡʁɑ̃/) (He is tall.)
• Nous sommes heureux. (/nu sɔm œʁø/) (We are happy.)
• Vous êtes ici. (/vu zɛti si/) (You are here.)
• Ils sont en retard. (/il sɔ̃ ɑ̃ ʁətaʁ/) (They are late.)

Quiz

Test your knowledge of the verb "être" with this quiz:

1. How do you say "I am French" in French?

A. Je suis français.

B. Je suis française.

2. How do you say "You are here" in French?

A. Tu es ici.

B. Vous êtes ici.

C. Il est ici.

3. How do you say "We are happy" in French?

A. Nous sommes heureux.

B. Nous sommes heureuses.

C. Nous sommes ensembles.

Answers: 1. A&B, 2. A&B, 3. A&B

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Related Lessons

• Déterminants
• Singular or plural when a number of individuals have one item each
• Agreement with a preceding direct object in a relative clause when the participle is followed by an infinitive
• Typical use of the indefinite article
• Nouns which change meaning when they change gender
• Omission of the article with nouns in apposition
• Adjective—adjective compounds
• Easy way of generating the present subjunctive
• Ordinal numbers as fractions
• Repetition of the definite article