Être — To Be

Present Indicative & Imparfait (Simple Past)

The Verb Conjugated

Être is the most fundamental French verb — it describes existence, identity, location, and emotion. Below are the present tense and imparfait (simple past) forms, the two most essential tenses for everyday conversation.

Present Indicative (Présent de l'Indicatif)

PronounFormGloss
jesuisI am
tuesyou are (informal)
il/elle/onesthe/she/one is
noussommeswe are
vousêtesyou are (formal/pl.)
ils/ellessontthey are
Pattern: Être is highly irregular; there is no stem. The forms must be memorized as unique words. Note the circumflex accent (ê) on "être" and "vous êtes." The present is used for current states, identity, and profession.

Imparfait (Imperfect Past)

PronounFormGloss
jeétaisI was (habitual/descriptive)
tuétaisyou were
il/elle/onétaithe/she was
nousétionswe were
vousétiezyou were (formal/pl.)
ils/ellesétaientthey were
Pattern: The imparfait is the "habitual or ongoing state in the past." The stem is ét- (from être), with regular imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Used for descriptions, repeated actions, and background states (vs. the passé composé for completed actions).
📝 Alternative: Passé Composé (Compound Past)

For recent, completed actions, French also uses the passé composé: "j'ai été" (I have been / I was [recently]). Example: "Hier, j'ai été à Paris" (Yesterday, I was in Paris). The imparfait and passé composé often work together in narratives, with imparfait for background and passé composé for completed events.

📢 Pronunciation Tips

je suis = "zhuh swee" (silent "e" at the start)

tu es = "too eh" (short vowels)

il est = "eel eh" (nasal "e")

nous sommes = "noo som" (like English "some")

vous êtes = "voo eht" (circumflex doesn't change sound; silent "s")

j'étais = "zheh-teh" (imparfait; stress on second syllable)

Conversational Practice

Here are six mini-dialogues using être in both present and past contexts: asking about identity, location, profession, state, and contrasting past descriptions with present reality.

① Introducing Yourself

A:
Bonjour! Qui êtes-vous? êtes (present)
Hello! Who are you?
B:
Je suis Pierre. suis (present)
I am Pierre.
A:
Vous êtes français? êtes
Are you French?
B:
Oui, je suis français. suis
Yes, I am French.

② Asking About Location

A:
Où êtes-vous? êtes (present)
Where are you?
B:
Je suis à Paris. suis
I am in Paris.
A:
Où était-ce hier? était (imparfait)
Where were you yesterday?
B:
Hier, j'étais à Lyon. étais (imparfait)
Yesterday, I was in Lyon.

③ Profession & Occupation

A:
Quel est ton métier? est (present)
What is your job?
B:
Je suis infirmière. suis
I am a nurse.
A:
Et avant? context for past
And before?
B:
Avant, j'étais professeure. étais (imparfait)
Before, I was a teacher.

④ Emotional State

A:
Comment es-tu? es (present)
How are you?
B:
Je suis heureux! suis
I am happy!

⑤ Contrast: Then vs Now

A:
Tu n'étais pas triste avant? étais (imparfait)
Weren't you sad before?
B:
Si, j'étais très triste. Mais maintenant je suis content. étais/suis
Yes, I was very sad. But now I am content.

⑥ Group Description

A:
Vous étiez au cinéma hier soir? étiez (imparfait)
Were you at the cinema last night?
B:
Oui, nous étions au cinéma. étions (imparfait)
Yes, we were at the cinema.
A:
Et maintenant, où êtes-vous? êtes (present)
And now, where are you?
B:
Maintenant, nous sommes à la maison. sommes (present)
Now, we are at home.

Related Verbs & Vocabulary

Below are 12 related verbs commonly paired with être or used in similar contexts. Note which ones are state verbs and which are movement or becoming verbs.

# French Verb English Type Notes
1 avoir to have verb [Similar conjugation] — irregular, memorize together with être
2 aller to go verb [Related meaning] — movement away from être state
3 venir to come verb [Related meaning] — movement toward an être state
4 devenir to become verb [Related meaning] — change of state (je deviens, je devais)
5 rester to stay, remain verb [Related meaning] — to be in a state of remaining
6 demeurer to reside, dwell verb [Related meaning] — formal/literary version of rester
7 paraître to appear, seem verb [Related meaning] — "Il paraît qu'il est malade" (It seems he is sick)
8 sembler to seem, appear verb [Related meaning] — similar to paraître
9 exister to exist verb [Related meaning] — philosophical/literal existence
10 se sentir to feel verb [Related meaning] — emotional/physical state (je me sens, je me sentais)
11 se trouver to be located, find oneself verb [Similar conjugation] — reflexive; "Où se trouves-tu?"
12 s'appeler to be called, named verb [Related meaning] — identity/naming (je m'appelle, je m'appelais)

Key Takeaways

💡 Tip 1: Être is Irregular

Être has no regular pattern — each form must be memorized separately. "Je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont." Flash cards and repetition are your friends. It's worth drilling because you'll use it constantly.

💡 Tip 2: Imparfait vs Passé Composé

The imparfait ("j'étais") describes habitual, ongoing, or background states in the past. The passé composé ("j'ai été") describes completed actions. In a story: "J'étais heureux quand il a téléphoné" (I was happy [background] when he called [completed action]).

💡 Tip 3: Être + Adjective for Description

French uses être + adjective to describe people and things: "Je suis grand" (I am tall), "Elle est intelligente" (She is intelligent), "C'est difficile" (It is difficult). This is one of the most frequent patterns in French speech.

💡 Tip 4: C'est (It Is)

The expression "c'est" (it is / that is) is a contraction of "cela est." Use it for identification: "C'est un livre" (It is a book), "C'est mon ami" (That is my friend). Very common in conversation and slightly different from the verb être alone.

💡 Tip 5: Presence of Être in Passé Composé

Many French verbs use être (not avoir) as their auxiliary in the passé composé — mainly reflexive verbs and verbs of motion. Example: "Je suis allé" (I went), "Elle s'est levée" (She got up). Learning which verbs take être will improve your past-tense accuracy.