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Wiktionary

Up to date as of January 14, 2010

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents

French

Etymology

From vulgar Latin essere, alteration of Latin esse (“‘be’”), irregular also in Latin. Infinitive, present participle, past participle and imperfect from Latin stare.

Pronunciation

Verb

être

  1. to be
    Vous devez être plus clairs.
    You must be clearer.
  2. (auxiliary) Used to form the perfect and pluperfect tense of certain verbs (including all reflexive verbs)
    Après être allé au yoga, je suis rentré chez moi.
    After having gone to yoga, I came back home.
  3. (auxiliary) to be (Used to form the passive voice)
    Il peut être battu ce soir.
    He could be beaten this evening.

Conjugation

   Conjugation of être (see also Appendix:French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive être avoir été
gerund en étant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle étant
past participle été
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il nous vous ils
simple
tenses		 present suis es est sommes êtes sont
imperfect étais étais était étions étiez étaient
past historic fus fus fut fûmes fûtes furent
future serai seras sera serons serez seront
conditional serais serais serait serions seriez seraient
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il que nous que vous qu’ils
simple
tenses		 present sois sois soit soyons soyez soient
imperfect fusse fusses fût fussions fussiez fussent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
— sois — soyons soyez —

Derived terms

See also

Noun

être m. (plural êtres)

  1. being, creature

Related terms








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