i just dont understand how je suis is tu es when its vous etes
The verb être means to be.
Here's how to say I am and you are in French:
Note that the verb form changes depending on who is acting.
Remember that in French, to say you, you will use either:
- tu to address one person you know well, i.e. informal and singular
- vous to address a group of people, i.e. plural OR one person in a professional context, or that you don't know well, i.e. formal and singular
Here's a link to the full conjugation of être in Présent indicatif:
Conjugate être in Le Présent (present tense)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 29 questions, 41 answers
There are two versions for "you" in French: tu (informal) and vous (formal). The conugation of être takes that into account.
TeCaKwiziq community member
it's just the rule of the language. As in English, you'd have 'I am'.. 'You are'.. 'He/She is'.. and 'We/They are'..
Rohey asked:View original
conjugating je suis
i just dont understand how je suis is tu es when its vous etes
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KrenarKwiziq community member
How do you conjugate the verb "être" in the Passé Composé (conversational past)?
Asked 1 month ago
Bonjour Krenar !
Here is the Kwiziq lesson explaining the conjugation of être in Le Passé Composé ->
Conjugate être (+ avoir) in Le Passé Composé (conversational past)
Hope this helps !
Krenar asked:View original
How do you conjugate the verb "être" in the Passé Composé (conversational past)?
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SammyKwiziq community member
How is etre relevant to:-
Why is etre (to be) relevant to je suis (I am) and vous etes (you are)
Asked 2 months ago
Because I am, you are, etc. are all conjugations of the same verb: être/to be
Sammy asked:View original
How is etre relevant to:-
Why is etre (to be) relevant to je suis (I am) and vous etes (you are)
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HüsKwiziq community member
la pratique de ecrireee
Bonjour!
Je m'appelle Ekin. J'ai 20 ans. Je suis etudiant a l'universite Hacettepe. J'habite a Ankara.
Je l'aime!!!
Asked 3 months ago
RatneshKwiziq community member
i am new i have done 6 class only but i did not get anything when i do listening practice how will it be improve
Hüs asked:View original
la pratique de ecrireee
Bonjour!
Je m'appelle Ekin. J'ai 20 ans. Je suis etudiant a l'universite Hacettepe. J'habite a Ankara.
Je l'aime!!!
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Rajesh Kwiziq community member
la pratique de ecrire
Bonjoure!
je m'appelle Rajesh, Je veux pratiqer ecrire la francaise, main je ne peux pas trouver n'importe ou.
quelque un aide moi sil vous plait.
Merci,
Rajesh Pardhe
Asked 4 months ago
Hi Rajesh, I suggest you start by following the kwiziq lessons and start taking tests. This will build your knowledge of the language which you need to start writing. Then there are a lot of writing exercises that are available to you on kwiziq, for example here: https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/learn/writing
Rajesh asked:View original
la pratique de ecrire
Bonjoure!
je m'appelle Rajesh, Je veux pratiqer ecrire la francaise, main je ne peux pas trouver n'importe ou.
quelque un aide moi sil vous plait.
Merci,
Rajesh Pardhe
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ShadrickKwiziq community member
Leraning french
I am a beginner who wants to learn how to speak french well. What do you think is the best way to start?
Asked 5 months ago
JeanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Watch BDs ( bandes dessinées) for children to hear spoken French. The characters usually speak in simple sentences. For example, Caillou en français. It's a series about a little boy named Caillou. There is also an English version, but you should be able to find the French one on youtube.
Shadrick asked:View original
Leraning french
I am a beginner who wants to learn how to speak french well. What do you think is the best way to start?
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EBRKwiziq community member
Studying French, for me, it is very interesting how verbs are congurated.
Asked 9 months ago
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KrisKwiziq community member
I think when I was learning French years ago I was taught, "Qui est-ce que vous êtes?" to make the question with est-ce que. Is that too formal?
Asked 9 months ago
Hi Kris,
It's the opposite,
"Qui est-ce que vous êtes?"
is very informal.
Kris asked:View original
I think when I was learning French years ago I was taught, "Qui est-ce que vous êtes?" to make the question with est-ce que. Is that too formal?
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BillKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Une question à propos de conjugaison
Bonjour,
Je voudrais poser une question à propos de conjugaison, particulièrement avec être. Dans les cas où on a veut exprimer deux sujets en une seule phrase pour le même verbe, par exemple deux sujets séparés par une virgule, quel sujet détermine la forme verbale à utiliser ? Par exemple, si je veux exprimer « tout le monde, surtout les jeunes,… » est-ce qu’on utiliserait « sont » après « les jeunes ? Et quel est la règle qui détermine la bonne forme ? Merci d’avance et j’espère que j’ai utilisé la bonne grammaire dans ces phrases, j’accueille les conseils.
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Bill,
Dans cette exemple, le verbe doit s'accorder avec 'tout le monde';
'surtout les jeunes' est presque entre parenthèses, et le sujet principal est 'tout le monde' qui est singulier donc,
est
est correct...
Bonne continuation!
BillKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Pardon-moi, je suis sûr que j’ai demandé ça sur la
mauvaise page, mais je ne savais pas où j’aurais dû demander ça.
BillKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
« Pardonne-moi » ! Je déteste quand je fais des erreurs, mais c’est mieux de faire des erreurs que de ne pas de tout écrire, non ?
Bill asked:View original
Une question à propos de conjugaison
Bonjour,
Je voudrais poser une question à propos de conjugaison, particulièrement avec être. Dans les cas où on a veut exprimer deux sujets en une seule phrase pour le même verbe, par exemple deux sujets séparés par une virgule, quel sujet détermine la forme verbale à utiliser ? Par exemple, si je veux exprimer « tout le monde, surtout les jeunes,… » est-ce qu’on utiliserait « sont » après « les jeunes ? Et quel est la règle qui détermine la bonne forme ? Merci d’avance et j’espère que j’ai utilisé la bonne grammaire dans ces phrases, j’accueille les conseils.
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BrandonKwiziq community member
"Vous etes qui" means "who are you". "Vous etes Mme Lupin" means "You are Mrs Lupin". How is that, I'm confused? I've only been studying two weeks!
Just not sure how this switches/changes from a question to a statement.
Asked 1 year ago
MichelleKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
As for "Vous êtes qui?", I don't know what this kind of question is called. It's not an est-ce question or an inversion question, but it's fairly typical. Pronoun--verb--question word.
That's just the syntax of French is this case. Maybe it helps you to think of "Vous êtes qui?" as "You are who?"
Actually "Vous êtes Mme Lupin", could be a question as well. You would simply have to raise your voice at the end of the sentence to make it one or place a question mark behind it when writing. We sometimes do this in English. For example, if someone tells you something that seems surprising you might say "It is?" or "You do?"
There are other types of questions, but I won't get into them as you just started learning French two weeks ago.
I hope this helps.
Brandon asked:View original
"Vous etes qui" means "who are you". "Vous etes Mme Lupin" means "You are Mrs Lupin". How is that, I'm confused? I've only been studying two weeks!
Just not sure how this switches/changes from a question to a statement.
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Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Would you like to pose a question and, if so, what is it?
-- Chris.
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GeorgiaKwiziq community member
Pour les autres sujets?
C'est:
Je suis
Tu es
Il est
Elle est
Nous sommes?
Vous êtes
Ils sont?
Elles sont?
Asked 2 years ago
Yes, that seems correct to me.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Georgia asked:View original
Pour les autres sujets?
C'est:
Je suis
Tu es
Il est
Elle est
Nous sommes?
Vous êtes
Ils sont?
Elles sont?
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FranciscoKwiziq community member
is it "vous êtes qui" always?
So if I'm asking to a group of people "Who are you?" the question would be the same as if I'd be asking that to a single person?? Is it vous êtes qui, no matter what? I was expecting it to be like "quis" or some plural there
Asked 2 years ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
No it is "vous êtes qui?" In this case one would probably use the inverted form of the question: "Qui êtes-vous?" By just looking at this sentence you couldn't tell whether it is about a single person being addressed formally or a group of people. But that is the same in English: "who are you" has a similar ambiguity.
Greetings, -- Chris (not a native speaker)
Francisco asked:View original
is it "vous êtes qui" always?
So if I'm asking to a group of people "Who are you?" the question would be the same as if I'd be asking that to a single person?? Is it vous êtes qui, no matter what? I was expecting it to be like "quis" or some plural there
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Bonjour Nigel !
I love Magritte, what a great artist!
However, here's how we would say :
C'est une pipe ? Non, c'est une peinture (a painting) / un-e peintre (a painter).
Have a look at our related lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/when-to-use-cest-or-il-est-elle-est-to-say-it-is
Bonne journée !
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AmandaKwiziq community member
anyone?
does anyone know how to get a bigger level i transfered from a francophone school to an english school as a grade 8 but it put me as a0 instead of advanced and ive been getting 10-10 on the a2 test and it has not switched my level
Asked 2 years ago
Hi Amanda, levels are upgraded when students achieve a level Kwiziq score of 75% (silver shield).
Amanda asked:View original
anyone?
does anyone know how to get a bigger level i transfered from a francophone school to an english school as a grade 8 but it put me as a0 instead of advanced and ive been getting 10-10 on the a2 test and it has not switched my level
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PatrickKwiziq community member
why is it that we can say je suis des parents, but not je suis des a amoureux?
I mean this as in, when we say je suis des parents we say I am a parent, but when we say je suis des a amoureux we say I'm lovers - which makes no sense. Maybe it's just des I am confused with?
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Patrick !
First of all, you can never say "Je suis" with either "des parents" nor "des amoureux", as it's singular.
You can say "Nous sommes des parents." or "Nous sommes parents." just like you say either "Nous sommes des amoureux." or "Nous sommes amoureux.".
In the case with "des", you insist on the *person* = we are (some) parents/lovers;
whereas in the second case, it becomes more of a characteristic:
= We are parents (it's our function) / We are *in love*.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Patrick asked:View original
why is it that we can say je suis des parents, but not je suis des a amoureux?
I mean this as in, when we say je suis des parents we say I am a parent, but when we say je suis des a amoureux we say I'm lovers - which makes no sense. Maybe it's just des I am confused with?
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Sonja !
"Est-ce que tu es grand ?" means "Are you tall?" (addressing a man)
Did you have a particular question about this?
Bonne journée !
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AmyKwiziq community member
Why do you have Tu es qui for informal and Vous etes qu for formal?
They seem like two completely different questions except the "qui" on the end of it.
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Amy !
Following your question, I've decided to amend this lesson to make the distinction between formal and informal forms clearer :)
The fact is that in French, we have two ways of saying "you", which can be used in three different contexts:
- "tu" is to address *one* person you know well, i.e. "informal" and "singular"
- "vous" is to address either: - *a group* of people, i.e. "plural"
OR - *one* person in a professional context, or that you don't know
well, i.e. "formal" and "singular"
Also note that in French, verbs change for each different person (I, you, he, she...), hence the completely different morphology of the two questions :)
I also added a link to our related lesson:
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Amy asked:View original
Why do you have Tu es qui for informal and Vous etes qu for formal?
They seem like two completely different questions except the "qui" on the end of it.
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JoanKwiziq community member
De and des
Why is it "Elles sont de meilleurs amies." and not "des", when the number of amies is plural? Isn't "de" for singular words, and "des" for plural?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour J ! This is a specific case when "des" become "de" when followed by an adjective. Please have a look at our related lesson: Using ''de / d' '' instead of 'des' in front of adjectives preceding nouns (partitive article)">Using ''de / d' '' instead of 'des' in front of adjectives preceding nouns (partitive article)">Using ''de / d' '' instead of 'des' in front of adjectives preceding nouns (partitive article)">Using ''de / d' '' instead of 'des' in front of adjectives preceding nouns (partitive article)
I hope that's helpful! À bientôt !
I hope that's helpful! À bientôt !
Joan asked:View original
De and des
Why is it "Elles sont de meilleurs amies." and not "des", when the number of amies is plural? Isn't "de" for singular words, and "des" for plural?
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Vincent !
In French, verbs have six different forms for each tense they're conjugated at.
The verb "être" in Le Présent is as follows:
je suis
tu es
il/elle/on est
nous sommes
vous êtes
ils/elles sont
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
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RafaelKwiziq community member
je suis grand et un peu calme
je suis grand et un peu calme
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Rafael !
"un peu calme" means "a bit quiet" which sounds a bit weird.
You could use "plutôt" (rather) or "assez" (quite) :)
À bientôt !
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KarenKwiziq community member
Our French neighbours have told us to use "tu"
When asking if they have been away would you use vous as you are speaking to them as a couple? bit unsure on this
Asked 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Karen,
Yes, you can only use tu when talking to/about one of them. When talking about both, even if you're only addressing one at the moment, use vous.
Karen asked:View original
Our French neighbours have told us to use "tu"
When asking if they have been away would you use vous as you are speaking to them as a couple? bit unsure on this
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Deeksha Kwiziq community member
Any tips to learn conjugations of irregular verbs
mostly 4 pouvoir
Asked 3 years ago
GruffKwiziq team member
Hi Deeksha Here's a list of our general learning tips:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips
If you want to focus specifically on irregular conjugations then you can add specific lessons to your Kwiziq notebook and test against those.
Bonne chance!
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips">https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/hints-and-tips
If you want to focus specifically on irregular conjugations then you can add specific lessons to your Kwiziq notebook and test against those.
Bonne chance!
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Nan !
"Vous êtes des parents." means "You are parents." in a general way, i.e. you have children.
Here "des" is the indefinite article, see the related lesson: https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/plural-of-the-and-a-les-and-des-articles
You could also say "Vous êtes les parents." which would be specific to a given situation ("You are the parents (of that child)").
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Deeksha Kwiziq community member
got a doubt....etre conjucation ....vous etes means they are
am i right or wrong ???!!!
sorry for spelling errors ...typing on the keyboard thus not able to put the accents
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AllyKwiziq community member
Je suis, tu es, il/elle/on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Ally,
Bravo! Indeed, if you want to practise the whole conjugation of être in Le Présent, add this lesson to your notebook:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-etre-in-le-present-present-tense
À bientôt !
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LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Marian,
It's very common to have trouble with conjugations; there's a lot to learn, but regular practice will help. Your personalized StudyPlan will keep kwizzing you on conjugations until you develop a high level of confidence, so just keep at it: https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/my-languages/french
Bon courage !
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JohnKwiziq community member
je joue - i play, i am playing
but then the example for en train is je suis en train de jouer - why does the form of play change?
Asked 4 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour John,
You're right that in French, je joue is equivalent to both "I play" and "I am playing."
But when you want to emphasize the fact that you're playing right now, you can use the expression être en train de jouer.
Jouer is in the infinitive because that's how French works: when you have two verbs (in this case, être and jouer), the first is conjugated and the second remains in the infinitive.
You can also use être en train de with other verbs: être en train de manger (to be eating), être en train d'étudier (to be studying), etc.
I hope this helps, bonne continuation !
John asked:View original
je joue - i play, i am playing
but then the example for en train is je suis en train de jouer - why does the form of play change?
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