French verbs: A guide to the “être” conjugation


While French isn’t short of verbs, among the most important ones is the verb to be or être. So, knowing the être conjugation is an essential step in your French learning journey. Whether you are a beginner or you want to refresh your memory,  let’s find out how to use and conjugate être in French! 

You will find and use the verb “être” in several contexts. Some of these might be familiar to an English-speaking student since they mirror those of the verb “to be”. Let’s dive into them nonetheless: 

Young woman learning the conjugation of être

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Use of the verb “être”

  • Identity:

Example: “I am a student” – Je suis étudiante.

  • Permanent or temporary characteristics:

They can be both physical or emotional:

Examples:

“He is tall” – Il est grand.

“She is tired” – Elle est fatiguée.

  • Origin or provenance:

Example: “I am from Paris”- Je suis de Paris.

  • Auxiliary verb in compound constructions :

When forming compound tenses, like the past tense

Example: “I have been there” – J’ai été ici.

How to conjugate “être” in French

Présent - Present simple 

FrenchEnglish
Je suis I am
Tu es You are
Il/Elle/On est He/She is
Nous sommes We are
Vous êtesYou are
Ils/Elles sont They are

Futur - Future simple

When planning, promising or dreaming of becoming something/someone, the future simple of “être” is your go-to tense.

FrenchEnglish
Je serai I will be
Tu seras You will be
Il/Elle/On seraHe/She will be
Nous serons We will be
Vous serez You will be
Ils/Elles seront They will be

Passé simple - Past simple

Used mainly in literature but rarely in everyday spoken French, learn how to conjugate être when talking about past events.

FrenchEnglish
Je fus I was
Tu fus You were
Il/Elle/On fut He/She was
Nous fûmes We were
Vous fûtes You were
Ils/Elles furentThey were

Imparfait 

Used to talk about continuing or repeated actions in the past or to describe past habits, here is how to conjugate être in French in its imparfait tense:

FrenchEnglish
J’étais I was
Tu étais You were
Il/Elle/On était He/She was
Nous étions We were
Vous étiez You were
Ils/Elles étaientThey were


Conditionnel présent - Present conditional

This tense will be handy when talking about hypothetical situations, wishes and desires.

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

Subjonctif présent - Present subjunctive

You will learn below how to conjugate être in the present subjunctive. This mood is used to indicate uncertainty, subjectivity or unreality.

FrenchEnglishExample
que je sois (contente)To beElle veut que je sois contente.
que tu soisTo beElle veut que tu sois content.
qu'il/elle/on soit To beElle veut qu’il soit content.
que nous soyons To beElle veut que nous soyons contents.
que vous soyez To beElle veut que vous soyez contents.
qu'ils/elles soient To beElle veut qu’ils soient contents.

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Imparfait du subjonctif - Imperfect subjunctive

It's used in formal French and comes from literature, history and journalism.

FrenchEnglishExample
que je fusseTo beIl voulait que je fusse contente.
que tu fusses To beIl voulait que tu fusses content.
qu'il/elle/on fût To beIl voulait qu’elle fût contente.
que nous fussionsTo beIl voulait que nous fussions contents.
que vous fussiez To beIl voulait que vous fussiez contents.
qu'ils/elles fussentTo beIl voulait qu’elles fussent contentes.

Passé composé - Present perfect

FrenchEnglish
J’ai été I have been
Tu as été You have been
Il/Elle/On a étéHe/She has been
Nous avons été We have been
Vous avez été You have been
Ils/Elles ont été They have been

Plus que parfait - Past perfect

To conjugate être in the past perfect, use the same structure as Passé composé.

FrenchEnglish
J’avais étéI had been
Tu avais été You had been
Il/Elle/On avait été He/She had been
Nous avions été We had been
Vous aviez été You had been
Ils/Elles avaient étéThey had been


Passé antérieur

FrenchEnglish
J’eus été I would have been
Tu eus été You would have been
Il/Elle/On eut été He/She would have been
Nous eûmes étéWe would have been
Vous eûtes été You would have been
Ils/Elles eurent été They would have been


Futur antérieur -  Future perfect

This tense is present in literature.

FrenchEnglish
J’aurai été I will have been
Tu auras été You will have been
Il/Elle/On aura été He/She will have been
Nous aurons étéWe will have been
Vous aurez étéYou will have been
Ils/Elles auront étéThey will have been


Impératif - Imperative

The imperative mood is used to give an order. There is no pronoun. We conjugate to be in the present indicative.

FrenchEnglish
Sois Be
Soyons Let’s be
Soyez (contents)Be

All conjugations of the verb être

There are many tenses in the French language. We have explained to you here the conjugation of the verb être in the most used tenses. There are still other tenses such as the subjunctive pluperfect for grammar buffs. Otherwise, the tenses cited above should allow you to conjugate the verb to be at every tense! It's up to you to memorize each conjugation little by little.

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Emilie Bled

Emilie Bled

Emilie is a community manager and writer specializing in the tourism, sports, and industry sectors. She lives just an hour away from Paris, where she takes full advantage of the forests for mountain biking. Passionate about climbing and outdoor sports, she travels in a van with her family across Europe. India holds a special place in her heart, having lived and worked there. After numerous experiences in digital communication, she has founded her own business. Discover more about her journey and professional expertise by checking out her services or her Linkedin profile.