Language/French/Grammar/How-to-use-Be
Present
The common French verb "être" (to be) is one of the most important, if not the most important. It is therefore crucial that know it well.
"être" is an irregular verb whatever the tense is.
Here is the conjugation in the present:
|
Verb "être" (present) | |
|
Je suis |
I am |
|
Tu es |
You are |
|
Il / Elle est |
He is |
|
Nous sommes |
We are |
|
Vous êtes |
You are |
|
Ils / Elles sont |
They are |
- Here are some phrases:
- Je suis avec elle = I'm with her
- Nous sommes à Madrid = We are in Madrid
- Il est sympathique = He is nice
- Sophie et Pierre sont Français = Sophie and Pierre are French
- Elle est heureuse = She is happy.
- Je suis dans la cuisine = I am in the kitchen.
Also the French verb être is used to form what are known as compound tenses. These are a little more complex, and many of them use this verb complementarily to form sentences like "you're walking". We'll see that later.
Past
Let's see how to form the past using this verb.
|
Verb "être" (past) | |
|
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 |
Let's put it into practice seeing a number of example sentences :
- Elle était nerveuse = She was nervous
- Vous étiez drôles = You were funny
- Vous étiez seul = You were alone
Auxiliary
An "auxiliary verb" or "helping verb" is a conjugated verb used in front of another verb in compound tenses to indicate the mood and tense of the verb.
In French, the auxiliary verb can be "avoir" or "être". All verbs are classified according to the auxiliary verb they use, and they take the same auxiliary verb in all compound tenses.
Most French verbs use "avoir". The following is a list of verbs that needs "être":
|
Verb |
Example |
Translation |
|
entrer |
Je suis entré à l'heure |
I came on time |
|
monter |
Je suis monté au deuxième étage |
I climbed to the second floor |
|
mourir |
Il est mort dans la nuit |
He died in the night |
|
naître |
Je suis né en 1972 |
I was born in 1972 |
|
partir |
Nous sommes partis à l'heure |
We left on time |
|
passer |
Je suis passé chez lui |
I went home |
|
rester |
Elle est restée chez elle |
She stayed home |
|
retourner |
Nous sommes retournés à la maison |
We returned home |
|
sortir |
Tu es sorti hier soir |
You went out last night |
|
tomber |
Il est tombé par terre |
He fell to the ground |
|
venir |
Nous somme venus trop tôt |
We are coming too soon |