Verb Être

Être is one of the most common verbs in French; in any French class, it will be the first one you will learn. Here are some basic things you need to know about it.

Usage in the Sentence

Rule 1: Just like aller and avoir, être can be used both in sentences and in grammatic constructions. When used on its own, it means "to be" and can identify things and people:

or indicate dates and times:

or be used with adjectives to describe something:

Conjugation

Be careful, the verb être is very common but irregular.

Usage in Grammatical Constructions

Rule 2: Être is also used as an auxiliary verb in compound tenses conjugations with certain groups of verbs. For example, with all reflexive verbs (les verbes pronominaux):

In passive sentences:

And with several verbs of movement and their derivatives when they are used without a direct object, such as aller (to go), venir (to come), or retourner (to return).