être

See also: etre and étre

Bourbonnais-Berrichon

Etymology

From Old French estre, from Early Medieval Latin essere, from Latin esse.

Verb

être

  1. to be

Conjugation

French

Etymology

From Middle French and Old French estre and ester, respectively from Early Medieval Latin essere (< esse "be") and Latin stāre (stand). Conjugations reflect both but more so the former. The form suis "(I) am" appears to reflect Vulgar Latin *suiō < Latin sum. Compare ai "(I) have", sais "(I) know" < *aiō, *saiō < habeō, sapiō.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛtʁ/
    • (file)
    • Rhymes: -ɛtʁ
  • IPA(key): /ɛːtʁ/ (older, now chiefly Belgium and Canada)
    • (file)
    • (file)
  • (Louisiana) IPA(key): /ɛtrə/, /dɛt/
  • Homophones: aître, aîtres, êtres (general), hêtre, hêtres (aspirated)
  • Hyphenation: être

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. (semi-auxiliary) to be (Used to form the passive voice)
    Il peut être battu ce soir.
    He can be beaten this evening.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Pages starting with “être”.

See also

Noun

être m (plural êtres)

  1. being, creature
  2. (uncountable) being, the state or fact of existence

Further reading

Lorrain

Etymology

From Old French estre, from Early Medieval Latin essere, from Latin esse.

Verb

être

  1. to be

Conjugation

Norman

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Verb

être (Jersey)

  1. Alternative form of ête (to be)
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