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Conjugation of the verb être

Author: Margaret Werness

Les Verbes

Le verbe être

Here is a video that will help you conjugate être and pronounce it correctly.

French verb conjugation

French verbs can be put into two main groups: regular verbs and irregular verbs.  Some of the most common verbs, such as the one we are looking at in this lesson, être, are irregular verbs.  Other important irregular French verbs are:  avoir ("to have"); aller ("to go"'); and faire ("to make or to do").  Regular verbs can be thought of as families of verbs, i.e. the -ER verb family or the -RE verb family.

 

When conjugating a French verb, you begin with the infinitive form and you write it in the middle.  Below the infinitive in the left-hand column, you write out the singular forms, first the pronoun (in blue in our verb table) followed by the conjugated form of the verb (in green in our verb table).  To the right, you will see the English translation (but remember that you should only write the French words when conjugating the verb!)

être (this is the INFINITIVE form)

je suis         (I am)

tu es            (You are -referring to one person)

il est            (He is)

elle est         (She is)   

on est            (One is)

 

Now we add the plural forms of the verb to the right-hand side of the table, the pronouns in blue and the conjugated form of the verb in green.  To aid in comprehension, the English translation is in purple to the right of the verb.

être

                                 nous sommes         (we are)                    

                                 vous êtes            (you are -referring to a group)                                      ils sont          (they are -referring  to a group                                                 of males only or a mixed group of males

                                                         and one or more females)

                              elles sont (they are -referring  to a group                                                 of females only)

 

 

To be successful, you first need to simply memorize the verb conjugation in its two-column format!  Bonne chance!

 

 

 

 

Conjugez le verbe être

C'est l'heure de pratiquer!  (Time for some practice !)

Complète les phrases suivantes avec la forme correcte du verbe être. (Fill in the correct conjugation of the verb être in these sentences.)

 

1.  Je ___________  contente de voir tous mes amis ce soir.

2.  Ce garçon, il ______ très beau.

3.  Ta tante, elle ______ vraiment gentille.

4.  Nous  ___________ en retard pour le déjeuner.

5.  Vous ___________ les premières personnes de venir dans ma nouvelle maison.

6.  Pierre et Paul _______ mes frères.

7. Ma mère _______ grande et blonde. (elle)

8. Sylvie et Madeleine _______ sportives.  (elles)

9.  Tu ____ drôle, tu sais?!

10. On ____ fatigué ce matin.