Je suis prêt pour le départ.
I am ready to leave.
French verb · present tense
Être Conjugation in French
être means to be in French. Highly irregular: its present forms include suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, and sont. In the present tense, the forms include je suis, nous sommes, and ils sont.
Être in the present tense
The table shows the six standard subject patterns. The same form covers il, elle, and on; another shared form covers ils and elles.
| Pronoun | Present form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | suis | |
| tu | es | |
| il / elle / on | est | |
| nous | sommes | |
| vous | êtes | |
| ils / elles | sont |
How être works
Être describes identity, state, or location and also serves as an auxiliary verb. Highly irregular: its present forms include suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, and sont.
Être examples in French
Tu es en avance.
You are early.
Elle est médecin.
She is a doctor.
Nous sommes à la maison.
We are at home.
Ils sont très contents.
They are very happy.
Practice the present tense
Try five forms of être. Your answers count toward verb practice progress.
Play French conjugation games
Keep practicing être with the full LangFun verb games.
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nous + être
to be
Related French verbs
Frequently asked questions about être
- What does être mean in French?
- Être describes identity, state, or location and also serves as an auxiliary verb.
- Is être a regular verb?
- Highly irregular: its present forms include suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, and sont.
- How do you conjugate être in the present tense?
- The present forms include je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, and ils sont.