Être Conjugation: The Verb That Never Behaves

Je suis. Tu es. Il est. If you've studied any French at all, these probably feel familiar. But être hides more than a simple "to be" translation, it also decides which verbs get a special past tense treatment, and when your sentence needs an extra letter tacked on the end.

Let's cover both.

Être: To Be, and So Much More

Être identifies, describes, and states. Nationality, profession, character, feelings, all run through être:

• Je suis américain. — I am American.

• Elle est fatiguée. — She is tired.

• Nous sommes frères. — We are brothers.

Simple enough on the surface. The complications show up once être starts doing other jobs.

Être in the Present Tense

• Je suis — I am

• Tu es — You are

• Il / Elle / On est — He / She / We (casual) is/are

• Nous sommes — We are

• Vous êtes — You are

• Ils / Elles sont — They are

None of these forms resemble each other much, which is exactly why être has a reputation. There's no clean shortcut here, just repetition until it sticks, and it will, since you'll use it constantly.

When Être Is the Auxiliary Verb (Not Avoir)

Most French verbs use avoir to build the passé composé. A specific, smaller group uses être instead, mostly verbs of movement and state change. French teachers have a classic memory trick for this exact list: DR MRS VANDERTRAMP, each letter standing for a verb in the être family (Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer, Tomber, Retourner, Arriver, Mourir, Partir).

• Je suis allé au marché. — I went to the market.

• Elle est née à Paris. — She was born in Paris.

• Nous sommes rentrés tard. — We came home late.

All reflexive verbs (the ones with se/s') also use être, no exceptions:

• Il s'est levé tôt. — He got up early.

The Agreement Rule Everyone Forgets

Here's the detail that catches even confident learners off guard: when être is the auxiliary, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number, adding -e for feminine, -s for plural, both for feminine plural.

• Il est allé. — He went.

• Elle est allée. — She went. (added -e)

• Ils sont allés. — They went. (added -s)

• Elles sont allées. — They went, all women. (added -es)

In conversation, most of these sound identical when spoken aloud, the difference mainly shows up in writing. Don't let it slow down your speaking, just keep it in mind when you write.

Être in the Imparfait and Futur Simple

Imparfait: j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient. Quand j'étais enfant, j'étais timide. — When I was a kid, I was shy.

Futur simple: je serai, tu seras, il sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils seront. Un jour, tu seras fier de toi. — One day, you'll be proud of yourself.

Quick Practice: Test Yourself

Fill in the blank:

1. Je ______ fatigué ce soir. (present)

2. Elle ______ née en 1995. (passé composé, watch the agreement)

3. Nous ______ heureux de vous voir. (present)

4. Quand j'étais jeune, j' ______ toujours en retard. (imparfait)

(Answers: 1. suis, 2. est (Elle est née), 3. sommes, 4. étais)

FAQ

Is être an irregular verb?
Completely, its present tense forms (suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont) don't follow a predictable pattern and simply need memorizing, though heavy daily use makes it stick fast.

What is DR MRS VANDERTRAMP?
A classic memory trick for the verbs that use être instead of avoir in the passé composé, movement and state-change verbs like aller, venir, naître, and mourir, plus all reflexive verbs.

Do you always add an extra letter with être in the past tense?
Only when être is the auxiliary verb. The past participle then agrees with the subject: add -e for feminine, -s for plural. With avoir as auxiliary, no agreement is needed in most cases.

What's the difference between être and avoir as auxiliary verbs?
Most French verbs use avoir. A smaller, specific group (DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs, plus all reflexive verbs) uses être instead, and those verbs also require subject agreement on the past participle.

Memorizing DR MRS VANDERTRAMP is one thing. Actually reaching for je suis allé instead of j'ai allé, mid-sentence, without pausing to think, that comes from saying it out loud, again and again, with someone correcting you kindly when you slip.

That's exactly what SylvAcademy's small group conversation classes are built for.

Ready to make être automatic in real conversation? Join a Standard Group session and start practicing this week.