Conjugating Être in French

Complete Guide to Conjugating ‘Être’ in French: A Must-Have Resource for English Speakers

Mastering a new language involves understanding its verbs and their various forms. For English speakers learning French, the verb ‘être’ (to be) is fundamental and often one of the first verbs introduced due to its frequent use. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed conjugation table for the verb ‘être’ across all tenses and moods, complete with English translations. This resource is designed to help English-speaking learners grasp the nuances of this essential French verb, making their journey into French language learning smoother and more effective.

Présent de l’Indicatif (Present Tense)

Français	Anglais
Je suis	I am
Tu es	You are
Il/Elle est	He/She is
Nous sommes	We are
Vous êtes	You are
Ils/Elles sont	They are

Imparfait de l’Indicatif (Imperfect Tense)

Français	Anglais
J’étais	I was
Tu étais	You were
Il/Elle était	He/She was
Nous étions	We were
Vous étiez	You were
Ils/Elles étaient	They were

Futur Simple de l’Indicatif (Future Simple Tense)

Français	Anglais
Je serai	I will be
Tu seras	You will be
Il/Elle sera	He/She will be
Nous serons	We will be
Vous serez	You will be
Ils/Elles seront	They will be

Passé Simple de l’Indicatif (Simple Past Tense)

Français	Anglais
Je fus	I was
Tu fus	You were
Il/Elle fut	He/She was
Nous fûmes	We were
Vous fûtes	You were
Ils/Elles furent	They were

Plus-que-parfait de l’Indicatif (Pluperfect Tense)

Français	Anglais
J’avais été	I had been
Tu avais été	You had been
Il/Elle avait été	He/She had been
Nous avions été	We had been
Vous aviez été	You had been
Ils/Elles avaient été	They had been

Futur Antérieur de l’Indicatif (Future Perfect Tense)

Français	Anglais
J’aurai été	I will have been
Tu auras été	You will have been
Il/Elle aura été	He/She will have been
Nous aurons été	We will have been
Vous aurez été	You will have been
Ils/Elles auront été	They will have been

Conditionnel Présent (Present Conditional)

Français	Anglais
Je serais	I would be
Tu serais	You would be
Il/Elle serait	He/She would be
Nous serions	We would be
Vous seriez	You would be
Ils/Elles seraient	They would be

Conditionnel Passé (Past Conditional)

Français	Anglais
J’aurais été	I would have been
Tu aurais été	You would have been
Il/Elle aurait été	He/She would have been
Nous aurions été	We would have been
Vous auriez été	You would have been
Ils/Elles auraient été	They would have been

Subjonctif Présent

Français	Anglais
Que je sois	That I be
Que tu sois	That you be
Qu’il/elle soit	That he/she be
Que nous soyons	That we be
Que vous soyez	That you be
Qu’ils/elles soient	That they be

Subjonctif Imparfait

Français	Anglais
Que je fusse	That I were
Que tu fusses	That you were
Qu’il/elle fût	That he/she were
Que nous fussions	That we were
Que vous fussiez	That you were
Qu’ils/elles fussent	That they were

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait

Français	Anglais
Que j’eusse été	That I had been
Que tu eusses été	That you had been
Qu’il/elle eût été	That he/she had been
Que nous eussions été	That we had been
Que vous eussiez été	That you had been
Qu’ils/elles eussent été	That they had been

Impératif

Français	Anglais
Sois	Be (informal)
Soyons	Let’s be
Soyez	Be (formal/plural)

Participe Présent

Français	Anglais
Étant	Being

Participe Passé

Français	Anglais
Été	Been

Infinitif

Français	Anglais
Être	To be

Gérondif

Français	Anglais
En étant	By being

In conclusion, the conjugation of the verb ‘être’ in French is a cornerstone in mastering the language. This table serves as a valuable reference for English speakers learning French, offering clear and concise translations for each form. With regular practice and reference to this guide, learners will find themselves more confident and proficient in using one of the most important verbs in the French language. Remember, language learning is a journey of continuous discovery and improvement.