How to Teach the French Verb Être – A French Teacher’s Guide
The French verb être is one of the first verbs beginners learn. It means to be, and students will use it constantly. But I’ve found that simply giving students the conjugation chart isn’t enough. They need to see how être actually works in sentences and gradually build from simple uses to more useful expressions.
Here’s how I like to teach it.
Start With the Conjugation
I begin with the basic present-tense forms:
je suis
tu es
il est
elle est
on est
nous sommes
vous êtes
ils sont
elles sont
There is quite a lot for beginners to memorize here because the forms are irregular.
I don’t try to make students discover a pattern that really isn’t there. I have them practice the forms repeatedly and, more importantly, start using them in meaningful sentences right away.
One thing I emphasize is on est.
Students often learn that on means “one,” but they will very quickly encounter it being used to mean we in everyday French:
On est en France.
We’re in France.
And even when on means “we,” it still takes the singular form:
on est, not on sommes.
French Verb Être – Ready-to-Use Lesson + Exercises, Game, Printable & PowerPoint
Use Être to Say Where You Are
One of the first things I like to do with être is use it to talk about location.
Students can immediately make useful sentences such as:
Je suis en France.
Tu es au Canada.
Il est aux États-Unis.
Elle est en Australie.
This gives students practice with être while also reinforcing something else they need to learn: French prepositions used with countries.
I also introduce locations that students are likely to use in everyday conversation:
Je suis à la boulangerie.
Tu es au café.
Elle est à la librairie.
On est au restaurant.
Nous sommes à l’école.
Vous êtes au parc.
Now students aren’t just reciting je suis, tu es, il est. They’re using the verb to communicate something real.
Add Descriptions
Once students are comfortable with simple sentences using être, I start adding adjectives.
For example:
Je suis fâché(e).
Tu es énervé(e).
Il est ravi.
Elle est fatiguée.
Nous sommes pressé(e)s.
Ils sont nerveux.
This is a great opportunity to introduce adjective agreement at the same time.
Students start seeing that être is followed by an adjective and that the adjective may need to agree with the subject.
For example:
Elle est fatiguée.
Ils sont nerveux.
Elles sont inquiètes.
I don’t try to teach every adjective-agreement rule at once, but I want students to start noticing the relationship between the subject, être, and the adjective.
Teach Useful Être Expressions
This is where I think the verb really starts becoming useful.
French has many common expressions with être + preposition + noun or être + adjective.
Some of the ones I like to introduce with beginners are:
être en bonne santé – to be in good health
être de bonne humeur – to be in a good mood
être en retard – to be late
être en avance – to be early
être à l’aise – to be comfortable
être à la retraite – to be retired
être en danger – to be in danger
être au régime – to be on a diet
These expressions are useful because they show students that they shouldn’t always try to translate être word for word.
For example:
Il est en retard.
is literally something like “He is in delay,” but students need to learn the French expression as a whole:
He is late.
The more of these useful expressions students learn, the more naturally they can use être.
Introduce Être en Train de + Infinitive
Once students have enough basic vocabulary, I also like introducing:
être en train de + infinitive
This allows students to express an action that is currently in progress.
For example:
Elles sont en train de travailler.
They’re in the process of working.
I like this expression because it gives students another very practical way to use être while introducing a structure they will encounter frequently.
I don’t necessarily teach it at the very beginning of the être lesson, but it’s a useful addition once students have a solid foundation.
Don’t Forget Negation
Negation is another reason I like to keep coming back to être after the initial conjugation lesson.
Students learn the basic pattern:
ne + verb + pas
So:
Je suis en France.
becomes:
Je ne suis pas en France.
And:
Elle est en retard.
becomes:
Elle n’est pas en retard.
This gives students repeated practice with both the conjugation of être and the mechanics of French negation.
It also reinforces something important about pronunciation:
je suis → je ne suis pas
tu es → tu n’es pas
il est → il n’est pas
nous sommes → nous ne sommes pas
Students get much more comfortable with these structures when they encounter them repeatedly in meaningful sentences.
I Don’t Teach Être as One Giant Lesson
This is probably my biggest tip.
Because être is so important, I don’t think students need to “finish” learning it in one lesson.
I introduce the conjugation.
Then I use it to talk about location.
Then I use it with adjectives.
Then I introduce common expressions.
Then I use it in negation.
And I keep bringing it back as we learn new vocabulary and grammar.
That way, students gradually build a much larger understanding of the verb without feeling as though they have to memorize everything at once.
Watch for These Common Problems
There are a few mistakes I expect beginners to make.
They confuse suis and es
Students often need a lot of repetition with:
je suis and tu es
These are forms worth practicing until they become automatic.
They use sommes with on
Because students know that on often means “we,” they may come up with:
on sommes
I reinforce:
on est
even when on means we.
They forget the adjective agreement
Students may say:
Elle est fatigué.
I want them to start noticing:
Elle est fatiguée.
The same applies to plural subjects.
They translate expressions word for word
Expressions like:
être en retard
and
être de bonne humeur
need to be learned as French expressions rather than translated word by word.
My Teaching Sequence for Être
If I’m introducing être to beginners, my basic progression is:
1. Learn the conjugation
je suis, tu es, il est, elle est, on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont, elles sont
2. Use être to talk about location
Je suis en France.
Nous sommes au restaurant.
3. Use être with adjectives
Elle est fatiguée.
Ils sont nerveux.
4. Add common expressions
être en retard, être en avance, être à l’aise, and others.
5. Introduce être en train de + infinitive
Use it to describe an action in progress.
6. Practice negation
Je suis… / Je ne suis pas…
And then I continue reviewing être throughout the rest of the beginner course.
That’s what I find most effective: teach the verb early, but don’t expect students to master every use of it at once.
French Être Resources for Teachers
If you’re looking for ready-to-use materials for teaching this essential French verb, I’ve created resources that give students structured explanations and practice with être.
French Verb Être Bundle | Worksheets & Games
French Verb Être – Present Tense Grammar Conjugation Game – Quel Dommage
French Verb Être – Beginner Level Bundle
These resources are designed to give students the repetition they need to move from memorizing je suis, tu es, il est… to actually using être in meaningful French sentences.
