Le verbe être
The essential irregular verb être ("to be") — used for identity, nationality, and feelings.
The rule
Être ("to be") is one of the most important verbs in French — you'll use it constantly to describe identity, nationality, profession, and feelings.
Unlike most French verbs, être is irregular and doesn't follow the standard -er/-ir/-re conjugation patterns, so its forms need to be memorized individually: je suis, tu es, il/elle/on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont.
Être is also used to form the passé composé of certain verbs (like aller, venir, and reflexive verbs), which you'll encounter as you progress to more complex tenses.
Examples
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Je suis française.I am French.
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Tu es fatigué.You are tired.
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Il est médecin.He is a doctor.
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Nous sommes en retard.We are late.
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Vous êtes très gentils.You are very kind.
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Elles sont à Paris.They are in Paris.
Common mistakes
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Je suis 20 ans.J'ai 20 ans.
Age uses avoir (to have), not être — a common mistake for English speakers, since English says "I am 20 years old."
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Il est froid.Il a froid.
Physical sensations like hunger, thirst, cold, and heat use avoir, not être.
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Nous est fatigués.Nous sommes fatigués.
Don't forget to conjugate être correctly for "nous" — it's "sommes", not "est".
