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 |