Pronouns and the Verb Être
Learning Objectives
- Learn the French subject pronouns.
- Differentiate between formal and informal address using tu and vous.
- Learn how to conjugate the verb être in the present tense.
- Create simple sentences using subject pronouns and the verb être.
In this lesson you'll learn the French subject pronouns and the present tense of the verb être. A short conversation is included to help you learn how to speak conversational French. The lesson starts with some more tips on how to pronounce French.
French Pronunciation
Pronunciation of the French language is fairly difficult. Listening to the pronunciation of the phrases in the lessons is the best way to learn. Here are a few things to remember.
The letter y is pronounced like the ee in meet.
The letter é is pronounced like the ay in day, but a bit shorter.
The letter u is pronound like the w in English when it is followed by another vowel. When it is followed by a consonant, it has a sound that is not in English. It sounds somewhat like the oo in moon, but with the lips tightly rounded.
The letter combinations au and eau are pronounced like the o in note.
The letter combinations eu œu represent sounds that are not in English, but they are similar to the sound of the i in dirt when followed by a pronounced consonant, otherwise like the u in put.
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Grammar
Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns are used when they represent the subject of a sentence. The following table shows the French subject pronouns.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je (j') | I |
| tu | you (familiar singular) |
| elle | she |
| il | he |
| on | one |
| nous | we |
| vous | you (polite or for more than one person) |
| elles | they (female) |
| ils | they (male) |
The pronoun je is contracted to j' when it is before a word that begins with a vowel or the letter h.
In French there are two pronouns that are used for 'you'. Tu is used when referring to one person in an informal context. Vous is used when referring to more than one person and when referring to one person in a polite context.
The pronoun on means 'one' and can also mean 'we' in informal speech.
When referring to mixed-gender groups, use ils. Use elles only for all-female groups.
The Present Tense of the Verb Être
The verb être means 'to be' and is very irregular in French.The following table shows how to conjugate être in the present tense.
| être | be |
|---|---|
| je suis | I am |
| tu es | you are (familiar singular) |
| il est, elle est, on est | he is, she is, one is |
| nous sommes | we are |
| vous êtes | you are (plural and polite) |
| ils sont, elles sont | they are |
Examples
Je suis un étudiant. |
I am a student. |
|
Tu es grand. |
You are tall. |
|
Il est français. |
He is French. |
|
Nous sommes amis. |
We are friends. |
|
Vous êtes ici. |
You are here. |
|
Ils sont fatigués. |
They are tired. |
|
Elles sont belles. |
They are beautiful. |
French Conversations
Read and listen to the following conversation between Marc and Marie. Note that Marc and Marie use 'vous', the polite version of you, since they have just met.
French
Marc: Bonjour ! Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Marie: Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Marie. Et vous ?
Marc: Je suis Marc. Enchanté.
Marie: Enchantée. D'où êtes-vous ?
Marc: Je suis de Paris. Et vous ?
Marie: Je suis canadienne.
English
Marc: Hello! What is your name?
Marie: Hello! My name is Marie. And you?
Marc: I am Marc. Nice to meet you.
Marie: Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Marc: I'm from Paris. And you?
Marie: I'm Canadian.
French Nouns Quiz
Here are some questions to help you learn the French subject pronouns and the present tense of the verb être. For each question, write the word that goes in the blank.