Être is the most irregular verb in French and one of the two "helper" verbs you'll use constantly. It literally means "to be," and it covers identity, description, and location — but it also has a few quirks that trip up English speakers, especially around professions and the past tense.
1. Être = to be, to exist
The most literal meaning — used for identity, description, and location, just like English.
| Je suis fatigué. | I am tired. |
| Tu es à la maison ? | Are you at home? |
| Nous sommes prêts. | We are ready. |
2. Être + profession — no article, unlike English
When you state someone's profession, nationality, or religion with être, French drops the article ("a/an") that English requires. This is one of the first habits to unlearn.
| Il est professeur. | He is a teacher. (not "il est un professeur") |
| Elle est française. | She is French. |
| Nous sommes étudiants. | We are students. |
3. Être as an auxiliary verb
Most French verbs use avoir to form the passé composé, but a specific group of verbs — mostly about movement or state, sometimes remembered with the acronym "DR MRS VANDERTRAMP" — use être instead. With these verbs, the past participle also agrees in gender and number with the subject.
| Elle est allée à Paris. | She went to Paris. |
| Ils sont arrivés en retard. | They arrived late. |
4. Conjugation — present tense
| je suis | I am |
| tu es | you are (informal) |
| il / elle / on est | he / she / one is |
| nous sommes | we are |
| vous êtes | you are (formal / plural) |
| ils / elles sont | they are |