Essential French Expressions with Être: Mastering "To Be"

The French verb "être" (to be) is a cornerstone of the language, appearing in countless essential expressions.

Let's explore some of the most common and useful phrases that feature this versatile verb.

Common Être Expressions in Everyday French

Describing States of Being

1. Être bien dans sa peau - To be comfortable with oneself Example: "Après des années de doute, elle est enfin bien dans sa peau." (After years of doubt, she's finally comfortable with herself.)

2. Être dans son assiette - To feel normal, like oneself Example: "Je ne suis pas dans mon assiette aujourd'hui, j'ai mal dormi." (I'm not feeling like myself today, I slept poorly.)

3. Être bouche bée - To be flabbergasted Example: "Quand j'ai vu le prix, j'étais bouche bée." (When I saw the price, I was flabbergasted.)

Idiomatic Expressions

4. Être à côté de la plaque - To be way off the mark Example: "Si tu penses que c'est facile, tu es à côté de la plaque." (If you think it's easy, you're way off the mark.)

5. Être sur son trente et un - To be dressed to the nines Example: "Pour le mariage, tout le monde était sur son trente et un." (For the wedding, everyone was dressed to the nines.)

6. Être haut comme trois pommes - To be knee-high to a grasshopper Example: "Je me souviens de lui quand il était haut comme trois pommes." (I remember him when he was knee-high to a grasshopper.)

Useful "C'est" Phrases

"C'est" (it is) is a crucial construction in French. Here are some common expressions:

7. C'est la vie! - That's life!
8. C'est parti! - Here we go!
9. C'est dans la poche - It's in the bag (It's a sure thing)
10. C'est n'importe quoi! - That's nonsense!

Negations with Être

Learning to negate être expressions is equally important:

11. Ce n'est pas grave - It doesn't matter, no problem
12. Ce n'est pas la mer à boire - It's not the end of the world
13. Ce n'est pas tes oignons! - None of your business!

Proverbs and Sayings with Être

French proverbs often use être in clever ways:

14. Être ou ne pas être - To be or not to be
15. Impossible n'est pas français - There's no such thing as can't
16. Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent - When the cat's away, the mice will play

Practical Usage Tips

• Practice these expressions in context. Try incorporating them into your daily French conversations.
• Pay attention to the tense of être in each expression. Some are fixed, while others can change.
• Remember that many of these phrases are idiomatic, so their meanings may not be immediately obvious from the individual words.

By learning these être expressions, you'll significantly enhance your French speaking skills and sound more natural in conversations.

Regular practice and exposure to native content will help solidify your understanding and usage of these phrases.