A1
être — to be
The present tense of être, what it is used for, and the French expressions that use avoir where English uses be.
| 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 |
None of it resembles the infinitive. It has to be learnt as six separate words.
Je suis fatigué.
I am tired
I’m tired.
Nous sommes en retard.
we are in delay
We’re late.
No article before a profession
Il est professeur.
he is teacher
He’s a teacher.
Il est un professeur.
Il est professeur.
After être, a job, nationality or religion takes no article. C’est un professeur is correct, because c’est works differently — see c’est and il est.
Where English uses be, French often uses avoir
Age, hunger, thirst, cold, fear. These are things you have in French.
J’ai vingt ans.
I-have twenty years
I’m twenty.
J’ai froid.
I-have cold
I’m cold.
Je suis vingt says nothing at all, and je suis froid says you are a cold person. See avoir.
The adjective agrees
Anything after être describing the subject changes to match it.
Elle est fatiguée.
she is tired (f.)
She’s tired.
Written fatiguée, pronounced exactly like fatigué. See adjectives.