PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
Conjugation directory
Être is the backbone of identity, description, and state. It also matters because it appears in the passive voice and as an auxiliary in compound tenses.
Use it for descriptions, location, identity, and any sentence where you need to sound precise about being rather than doing.
Je suis prêt pour l'examen.
I am ready for the exam.
Do not forget adjective agreement or confuse être with avoir in compound forms.
Use the table above and the related links below to pin the pattern down before you move on to other verbs.
Start with the present tense, then the passé composé. Those two forms carry most everyday conversation and make the rest of the table easier to recognise.
Être typically uses avoir in compound tenses. Check the table above and keep the past participle in view when you move into compound forms.
Use the related links below and then open the interactive conjugator to compare this verb with others you use often.