The Verbe Être
Le nouveau vocabulaire
The present tense conjugation of the verb être is so irregular that you must commit it to memory after many repetitions. That’s another way of saying that you have to memorize it! Fortunately, there is a little tune that may help you recall this conjugation. First, you will look at the conjugation, then you will practice the tune. Click on each conjugation to hear the proper pronunciation and repeat after the speaker. Practice this until you can pronounce each one without referring to the recording.
In the affirmative, the “s” of the subject pronoun vous is pronounced like a “z” in English. This is because the “s” is followed by the vowel “e” in êtes. This carryover in sound is called "liaison". Literally, this means “connection.”
| Être (to be) | |
| French | English |
| Je suis | I am |
| Je ne suis pas | I am not |
| Tu es | You are |
| Tu n’es pas | You are not |
| Il est (m) | He is |
| Il n’est pas (m) | He is not |
| Elle est (f) | She is |
| Elle n’est pas (f) | She is not |
| *On est | One is |
| *On n’est pas | One is not |
| Nous sommes | We are |
| Nous ne sommes pas | We are not |
| Vous êtes | You are |
| Vous n'êtes pas | You are not |
| Ils sont (m) | They are |
| Ils ne sont pas (m) | They are not |
| Elles sont (f) | They are |
| Elles ne sont pas (f) | They are not |
*on means “one” and is used to refer to someone in general as opposed to specific. It is similar to saying “you” as in the English expression, “You (one) should always look both ways before crossing the street.”
Cultural Note
It’s interesting and fun to make comparisons between French and American cultures. Technically, there is no equivalent of tu versus vous in English. However, Americans sometimes slur the word “you” to make it sound informal. For instance, you may hear: “Are ya going to the game this afternoon?” where “ya” is used like tu. Also, in the southern part of the United States you may hear: “Y’all come back now!” where “y’all” is used like vous to denote a plural second person subject. Can you think of any other American equivalents of tu or vous?
Tu and vous both mean “you.” However, tu is the familiar form of address and is only used in the following circumstances:
- you know the person well
- he/she is the same age as you;
- he/she is younger than you;
- he/she is a member of your family; or
- you are talking to an animal.
Vous is used in all other circumstances and when addressing more than one person (or animal). In French culture, if the above criteria for using tu are not met, and you address someone as tu without being given prior permission by that person, you will be insulting him/her. If in doubt, use vous.
The Être Song
In this interactivity you will learn a little tune to help you recall how to conjugate the verb être. The song is sung to the tune of the theme song to “The Addams’ Family.” Listen to the recording and practice this tune as many times as you need to commit the conjugation of être to memory.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
Le Verbe Être Review
Now that you have studied the verb être it is time to practice what you have learned. In this non-graded interactivity, you will be asked a series of questions about the verb être. Click the player to get started.