Conjugations › French › être

être

to be

French Irregular
prev All French Verbs avoir

The French verb "être" means "to be" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "être" across all 5 tenses.

Jump to a tense

Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)

How to Conjugate "être" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I suis
tu you (informal) es
il/elle/on he/she/one est
nous we sommes
vous you (formal/plural) êtes
ils/elles they sont
Il est très gentil aujourd'hui.
He is very kind today.

How to Conjugate "être" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I ai été
tu you (informal) as été
il/elle/on he/she/one a été
nous we avons été
vous you (formal/plural) avez été
ils/elles they ont été
Il a été absent aujourd'hui.
He was absent today.

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "être" in real French sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "être" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I étais
tu you (informal) étais
il/elle/on he/she/one était
nous we étions
vous you (formal/plural) étiez
ils/elles they étaient
Il était souvent à la maison.
He was often at home.

How to Conjugate "être" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I serai
tu you (informal) seras
il/elle/on he/she/one sera
nous we serons
vous you (formal/plural) serez
ils/elles they seront
Il sera content de te voir.
He will be happy to see you.

How to Conjugate "être" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I serais
tu you (informal) serais
il/elle/on he/she/one serait
nous we serions
vous you (formal/plural) seriez
ils/elles they seraient
Il serait ici demain matin.
He would be here tomorrow morning.
prev All French Verbs avoir

Frequently Asked Questions About "être"

Is "être" regular or irregular in French?
"Être" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "être" mean in English?
The French verb "être" means "to be" in English.
How do you conjugate "être" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → suis, tu → es, il/elle/on → est, nous → sommes, vous → êtes, ils/elles → sont.
How many tenses does "être" have in French?
"Être" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

Learn More About French Verbs

How to Sound More French by Mastering Verbes de Mouvement

Use French movement verbs more naturally with clearer direction, better tense choices, and fewer avoir vs être mistakes.

How to Spell "Je m'appelle" Correctly Every Time

Stop second-guessing je m'appelle with a simple rule for apostrophes, reflexive pronouns, and double consonants in French.

Why "Tu me manques" Is So Confusing for English Speakers

Understand why tu me manques feels backwards, how manquer really works, and which other French verbs flip the subject too.

Master French verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.