How to Conjugate "Être" in French

Updated on 2024-08-25

"Être" (to be) is one of the most fundamental verbs in French. Its mastery is crucial for effective communication in various tenses and moods.

This guide will walk you through the conjugation of "être" in all its forms.

Present Tense (Présent)

The present tense is used to describe current actions or states:

Je suis (I am)
Tu es (You are - singular/informal)
Il/Elle/On est (He/She/One is)
Nous sommes (We are)
Vous êtes (You are - plural/formal)
Ils/Elles sont (They are)

Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

The imperfect tense describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past:

J'étais (I was)
Tu étais (You were)
Il/Elle/On était (He/She/One was)
Nous étions (We were)
Vous étiez (You were)
Ils/Elles étaient (They were)

Future Tense (Futur Simple)

Use the future tense to talk about actions that will happen:

Je serai (I will be)
Tu seras (You will be)
Il/Elle/On sera (He/She/One will be)
Nous serons (We will be)
Vous serez (You will be)
Ils/Elles seront (They will be)

Conditional Mood (Conditionnel)

The conditional is used for hypothetical situations:

Je serais (I would be)
Tu serais (You would be)
Il/Elle/On serait (He/She/One would be)
Nous serions (We would be)
Vous seriez (You would be)
Ils/Elles seraient (They would be)

Subjunctive Mood (Subjonctif)

The subjunctive is used to express doubt, emotion, or necessity:

Que je sois (That I be)
Que tu sois (That you be)
Qu'il/elle/on soit (That he/she/one be)
Que nous soyons (That we be)
Que vous soyez (That you be)
Qu'ils/elles soient (That they be)

Compound Tenses

Compound tenses use the auxiliary verb "avoir" with the past participle "été":

Passé Composé (Present Perfect)

J'ai été (I have been)

Plus-que-parfait (Past Perfect)

J'avais été (I had been)

Futur Antérieur (Future Perfect)

J'aurai été (I will have been)

Conditionnel Passé (Past Conditional)

J'aurais été (I would have been)

Imperative Mood (Impératif)

Used for commands or requests:

(Tu) Sois (Be - singular/informal)
(Nous) Soyons (Let's be)
(Vous) Soyez (Be - plural/formal)

Participles

Present Participle: étant (being)
Past Participle: été (been)

Practice Makes Perfect

Regular practice is key to mastering "être" conjugations. Try using it in various contexts and sentences.

For personalized practice and immediate feedback, leçon.ai offers tailored exercises to help you perfect your "être" usage.

Conclusion

"Être" is essential for French communication. Its proper use will significantly enhance your French language skills.