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

To be = être

Présent (de l'indicatif)

• Je suis = I am

• Tu es = you (singular) are

• Il (male)/ Elle (female) est = He/She is

• Nous sommes = we are

• Vous êtes = you (plural) are

• Ils (males)/ Elles (females) sont = they are

Imparfait

• J'étais = I was

• Tu étais = You (singular) were

• Il / Elle était = he / she was

• Nous étions = we were

• Vous étiez = you (plural) were

• Ils / Elles étaient = they were

Passé composé

pronoun + verb "have" (avoir) in present + past participle of the verb (in this case, be)

• J'ai été = I had been

• Tu as été = You (singular) had been

• Il/ Elle a été = He/ she had been

• Nous avons été = We had been

• Vous avez été = You (plural) had been

• Ils/ Elles ont été = They had been

Futur simple

• Je serai = i will be

• Tu seras = you (singular) will be

• Il/ Elle sera = he/she will be

• Nous serons = we will be

• Vous serez = you (plural) will be

• Ils/ Elles seront = they will be

Related Lessons

• How to write and read numbers
• An adjective agreeing with nouns linked by de
• Conjugation group 3 — verbs with infinitives which end in —re
• Plural of Nouns
• Infinitives
• Nouns which have the same spoken form but two different written forms
• Position of direct and indirect object pronouns
• Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change from a nasal vowel to an oral vowel
• Directly transitive verbs
• Easy future