Start with the subject and the whole verb
French normally expresses a subject with a finite verb, even when the ending might help identify the person. Learn je suis, tu es, il est, elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, and ils sont or elles sont as short sound groups. The forms are irregular, so removing letters from the infinitive will not produce a reliable pattern. A name can replace a pronoun: Lina est ici. Two names together require a plural verb. The choice of a subject tells you which form to retrieve, while the rest of the sentence tells you what that form connects to.
Je suis ici.
I am here.
The speaker is the subject, so the first person singular form is required. The location word describes where the speaker is. This sentence also shows that the subject remains expressed in ordinary French, rather than being omitted as in some other languages.
Nous sommes à Paris.
We are in Paris.
The subject includes the speaker and at least one other person. Its irregular plural form must be learned as a unit. The city phrase indicates location and does not change the person required by the subject.
References for this explanation
Use être for identity and description
An adjective after être describes the subject and usually agrees with it in gender and number. A woman may say Je suis française, while a man may say Je suis français. Some adjectives have the same written form in both genders. A profession without an additional description often appears without an article after a personal subject: Elle est médecin. Do not transfer the English article automatically. When you identify someone with a determined noun phrase, the usual pattern changes to C’est une médecin. These patterns are related, but they are not interchangeable word for word.
Elle est médecin.
She is a doctor.
The subject is third person singular, so this is the appropriate present form. A profession used as a basic classification after a personal subject ordinarily has no indefinite article. The English translation therefore contains a word that the French sentence does not need.
Elles sont françaises.
They are French, referring to women.
The adjective describes a feminine plural subject, so its spelling marks both gender and number. The final letters may not all be audible, but they remain necessary in writing. Agreement connects the description to the people being described.
Follow a complete example
Build a sentence with this meaning: She is a doctor. Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: She is a doctor. Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- The subject is third person singular, so this is the appropriate present form. A profession used as a basic classification after a personal subject ordinarily has no indefinite article. The English translation therefore contains a word that the French sentence does not need.
- Now read the complete sentence, Elle est médecin.. Check the words surrounding your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change if the speaker, number, or intended message changed. Then cover this example and reconstruct the sentence from the English cue.
Elle est médecin. She is a doctor.
References for this explanation
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Être
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: C’est versus il est
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Gender: masculine and feminine
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Adjectives: formation and placement
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Indefinite articles
Build the present forms of avoir
The present forms are j’ai, tu as, il a, elle a, nous avons, vous avez, and ils ont or elles ont. Before the vowel in ai, je becomes j’. This spelling joins the subject closely to the verb, but the two still have different grammatical jobs. The written a has no accent when it is a verb; à is a preposition. Listen carefully to ils ont and ils sont because the linking consonants distinguish possession from being. The first has a linking z sound, while the second keeps the initial s sound of its verb.
J’ai un livre.
I have a book.
The subject is the speaker, and the verb expresses possession. The shortened subject spelling is required before this vowel beginning. Learning the complete group helps preserve both the apostrophe and the correct irregular verb form.
Vous avez une question.
You have a question.
The same verb form works when addressing several people or addressing one person with formal or socially distant wording. The noun is singular because there is one question; that noun does not control the verb, which agrees with the subject.
References for this explanation
Express age and ordinary sensations with avoir
French describes age with avoir and a number of years: J’ai vingt ans. The noun ans remains part of the ordinary complete statement. Several common sensations also use avoir followed by a noun without an article: avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir froid, and avoir chaud. Translate the whole expression, not the English verb alone. Je suis froid can describe a cold manner or another contextually different quality; it is not the neutral beginner way to say that you feel cold. Keeping a small set of complete personal sentences is more useful than memorizing isolated translations of be.
Elle a vingt ans.
She is twenty years old.
French uses possession grammar to express age. The subject is singular, so the appropriate third person form accompanies the number and the plural noun for years. The English verb in the translation does not determine the French construction.
Nous avons faim.
We are hungry.
Hunger belongs to a common expression built with this verb and a noun without an article. The plural subject includes the speaker, so the first person plural form is needed. The expression communicates a sensation rather than ownership of an object.
References for this explanation
Separate a known person’s location from existence
Use être to locate an identified person or thing: Le livre est ici. To introduce something that exists or is present, use il y a. This fixed construction contains a form of avoir, but its verb remains singular even when several items follow: Il y a deux livres. Do not make the introductory pronoun plural to match the items. This distinction helps when describing a room: first introduce an object, then locate or describe that same object. The definite article often signals that the second sentence refers to something the conversation has already established.
Le livre est sur la table.
The book is on the table.
The sentence locates an identified singular object. Its main noun is singular, so the third person singular form fits. The table phrase supplies the location, and its own gender or number does not determine the verb.
Il y a deux livres.
There are two books.
This fixed expression introduces the existence or presence of items. Its verb stays singular even though the noun phrase names two books. English plural agreement therefore cannot be transferred directly into the French construction.
References for this explanation
Make negatives and simple questions
In a complete written negative, put ne before the finite verb and pas after it. Before a vowel, write n’: Je n’ai pas faim. In ordinary conversation, the first negative word is often absent, but retain both parts while learning the written pattern. A beginner can ask a question with rising intonation or with est-ce que followed by the statement order. This frame becomes est-ce qu’ before a vowel. It does not remove or replace the verb inside the question. Practice transforming one statement at a time while keeping its subject and main meaning constant.
Je ne suis pas fatigué.
I am not tired, said by a man.
The negative words surround the conjugated verb. The subject remains at the beginning, and the adjective follows the completed negative group. The adjective spelling here matches the specified speaker, while the negative frame itself does not change with gender.
Est-ce que tu as une question ?
Do you have a question, addressing one familiar person?
The question frame leaves the following subject and verb in statement order. The familiar singular subject still requires its own present form. English uses an auxiliary in the translation, but French does not add an equivalent of do here.
Try the reasoning with less help
Build a sentence with this meaning: I am not tired, said by a man. Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: I am not tired, said by a man. Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- The negative words surround the conjugated verb. The subject remains at the beginning, and the adjective follows the completed negative group. The adjective spelling here matches the specified speaker, while the negative frame itself does not change with gender.
- Now read the complete sentence, Je ne suis pas fatigué.. Check the words surrounding your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change if the speaker, number, or intended message changed. Then cover this example and reconstruct the sentence from the English cue.
Compare your reasoning
Je ne suis pas fatigué. I am not tired, said by a man.
References for this explanation
Keep the two systems separate as sentences grow
The verbs also act as helpers in compound tenses, but this lesson uses their ordinary present meanings only. Do not infer a past tense rule from a possession example. Likewise, an English description may correspond to a French noun expression, an adjective, or a different construction. Build a personal reference set: your location with être, one possession with avoir, your age, and one sensation. Then change the subject in each sentence and retrieve the new verb. Listen to the entire group, especially the contrast between ils sont and ils ont, and check adjective agreement separately from verb agreement.
Ils sont ici.
They are here.
The sentence locates several people whose group is referred to by the masculine plural subject. The verb expresses being in a place. Its initial consonant helps distinguish it in speech from the otherwise similar subject and possession combination.
Elles ont un appartement.
They have an apartment, referring to women.
The verb expresses possession and agrees with a third person plural subject. The apartment is singular, but it is the possessed object rather than the subject. Keep the verb choice tied to possession and the verb form tied to the possessors.
Notice the difference
Common mistakes
Age needs its own expression
Instead ofElle est vingt ans.
For this meaningElle a vingt ans.
The ordinary French age construction uses the verb for having. The number and the noun for years complete that expression. This is a lexical construction to learn as a whole, not evidence that every English use of be should change to have. Compare age with a location sentence to keep the distinction clear.
Keep the speaker form
Instead ofJe a un livre.
For this meaningJ’ai un livre.
Two repairs are required: the verb must agree with the speaker, and the subject must elide before the vowel. Fixing only the apostrophe would leave the wrong person form. Say the complete subject and verb group aloud, then add the object with its article.
Preserve fixed existence grammar
Instead ofIls y ont deux livres.
For this meaningIl y a deux livres.
The introductory construction remains singular even when it introduces several things. The following plural noun is not a replacement subject for this fixed pattern. Contrast it with a sentence about identified books, where an ordinary plural subject does require a plural form of the verb for being.
From understanding to using
Make your own example.
Try these without answer choices. Say your answer aloud or write it below, then compare your reasoning with the model.
Your turn 1
Introduce yourself with a location and one possession. Use the speaker forms of both verbs.
Compare with a model
Je suis à Lyon. J’ai un vélo.
I am in Lyon. I have a bicycle.
The first sentence locates the speaker, so it uses the present form for being. The second names something the speaker has, so it uses possession grammar and the required subject elision before a vowel. Each sentence still has its own subject. Try replacing the bicycle with another singular object, preserving its article and grammatical gender. Then change both subjects to we and retrieve two different plural forms.
- Did you preserve the requested meaning?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Your turn 2
Say that Lina is twenty and that she is hungry. Avoid translating the English verb directly.
Compare with a model
Lina a vingt ans. Elle a faim.
Lina is twenty years old. She is hungry.
Both meanings use the same French verb even though English uses be. The age statement includes the noun for years, while the hunger expression has no indefinite article. Replacing the name with the pronoun makes the second sentence flow without changing its singular agreement. Explain the expression choice before looking at a conjugation list; choosing the correct form of the wrong verb still misses the intended idiom.
- Did you preserve the requested meaning?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Put it into practice
Make the next choice.
Choose a response and learn why it works. Your score reflects your first answer to each question. You can revisit anything you miss.
Choose an answer, then open the explanation to check your reasoning.
Question 1
Complete the sentence for this meaning: I am here.
Je ___ ici.
- suis
- est
Check the answer
Answer: suis
suis: The speaker is the subject, so the first person singular form is required. The location word describes where the speaker is. This sentence also shows that the subject remains expressed in ordinary French, rather than being omitted as in some other languages.
est: This form belongs with a third person singular subject, such as a name or the pronoun for he or she.
Question 2
Complete the sentence for this meaning: We are in Paris.
Nous ___ à Paris.
- sont
- sommes
Check the answer
Answer: sommes
sont: This form belongs with a third person plural subject. A plural meaning alone does not identify the correct person.
sommes: The subject includes the speaker and at least one other person. Its irregular plural form must be learned as a unit. The city phrase indicates location and does not change the person required by the subject.
Question 3
Complete the sentence for this meaning: She is a doctor.
Elle ___ médecin.
- est
- sont
Check the answer
Answer: est
est: The subject is third person singular, so this is the appropriate present form. A profession used as a basic classification after a personal subject ordinarily has no indefinite article. The English translation therefore contains a word that the French sentence does not need.
sont: This is a plural verb form. The professional meaning does not change the singular subject or its agreement.
Question 4
Complete the sentence for this meaning: They are French, referring to women.
Elles sont ___.
- français
- françaises
Check the answer
Answer: françaises
français: That spelling is masculine singular or masculine plural. It does not match the feminine plural subject specified here.
françaises: The adjective describes a feminine plural subject, so its spelling marks both gender and number. The final letters may not all be audible, but they remain necessary in writing. Agreement connects the description to the people being described.
Question 5
Complete the sentence for this meaning: I have a book.
J’___ un livre.
- ai
- a
Check the answer
Answer: ai
ai: The subject is the speaker, and the verb expresses possession. The shortened subject spelling is required before this vowel beginning. Learning the complete group helps preserve both the apostrophe and the correct irregular verb form.
a: This belongs with a third person singular subject. The apostrophe in the subject does not make the verb third person.
Question 6
Complete the sentence for this meaning: You have a question.
Vous ___ une question.
- avons
- avez
Check the answer
Answer: avez
avons: This form belongs with the subject meaning we. The number of questions does not determine the person of the verb.
avez: The same verb form works when addressing several people or addressing one person with formal or socially distant wording. The noun is singular because there is one question; that noun does not control the verb, which agrees with the subject.
Question 7
Complete the sentence for this meaning: She is twenty years old.
Elle ___ vingt ans.
- a
- est
Check the answer
Answer: a
a: French uses possession grammar to express age. The subject is singular, so the appropriate third person form accompanies the number and the plural noun for years. The English verb in the translation does not determine the French construction.
est: The ordinary age expression requires the other verb. Translating English is directly would not produce the intended French age statement.
Question 8
Complete the sentence for this meaning: We are hungry.
Nous ___ faim.
- sommes
- avons
Check the answer
Answer: avons
sommes: French does not build this ordinary hunger expression with the verb for being. Choose the complete expression before matching the subject.
avons: Hunger belongs to a common expression built with this verb and a noun without an article. The plural subject includes the speaker, so the first person plural form is needed. The expression communicates a sensation rather than ownership of an object.
Question 9
Complete the sentence for this meaning: The book is on the table.
Le livre ___ sur la table.
- est
- a
Check the answer
Answer: est
est: The sentence locates an identified singular object. Its main noun is singular, so the third person singular form fits. The table phrase supplies the location, and its own gender or number does not determine the verb.
a: That would make the book the possessor of something, rather than locate it. The intended relation is location of a known item.
Question 10
Complete the sentence for this meaning: There are two books.
Il y ___ deux livres.
- ont
- a
Check the answer
Answer: a
ont: The fixed introductory construction does not become plural when plural items follow it. Keep its standard singular verb.
a: This fixed expression introduces the existence or presence of items. Its verb stays singular even though the noun phrase names two books. English plural agreement therefore cannot be transferred directly into the French construction.
Question 11
Complete the sentence for this meaning: I am not tired, said by a man.
Je ___ fatigué.
- ne suis pas
- suis ne pas
Check the answer
Answer: ne suis pas
ne suis pas: The negative words surround the conjugated verb. The subject remains at the beginning, and the adjective follows the completed negative group. The adjective spelling here matches the specified speaker, while the negative frame itself does not change with gender.
suis ne pas: The first negative word belongs before the finite verb. It cannot be placed after that verb in this ordinary pattern.
Question 12
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you have a question, addressing one familiar person?
Est-ce que tu ___ une question ?
- a
- as
Check the answer
Answer: as
a: The question frame does not cancel person agreement. This spelling belongs with a third person singular subject, not familiar you.
as: The question frame leaves the following subject and verb in statement order. The familiar singular subject still requires its own present form. English uses an auxiliary in the translation, but French does not add an equivalent of do here.
Question 13
Complete the sentence for this meaning: They are here.
Ils ___ ici.
- sont
- ont
Check the answer
Answer: sont
sont: The sentence locates several people whose group is referred to by the masculine plural subject. The verb expresses being in a place. Its initial consonant helps distinguish it in speech from the otherwise similar subject and possession combination.
ont: This would require a possession, age, or other appropriate complement. It does not express the requested location with here.
Question 14
Complete the sentence for this meaning: They have an apartment, referring to women.
Elles ___ un appartement.
- sont
- ont
Check the answer
Answer: ont
sont: That would identify the people with an apartment rather than say that they possess one. The intended relationship requires possession grammar.
ont: The verb expresses possession and agrees with a third person plural subject. The apartment is singular, but it is the possessed object rather than the subject. Keep the verb choice tied to possession and the verb form tied to the possessors.
Keep the conversation going
What to practice next
Return to the production tasks after a break. Reconstruct your sentences without the models, compare the meaning and form, and repair any error by explaining its cause. Then use one sentence in a short exchange of your own.
Sources and editorial notes
By Loquus ·
Source checked with AI assistance
These original explanations synthesize the cited sources. They have not been certified by an independent human language specialist. Regional usage and context are described where they affect the answer. Report a correction in the discussion below.
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Être
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Avoir
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Avoir expressions
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Subject pronouns
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: C’est versus il est
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Gender: masculine and feminine
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Adjectives: formation and placement
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Basic negation
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Yes or no questions
- University of Texas, Tex’s French Grammar: Indefinite articles
Learning research behind the practice
Worked examples, retrieval practice, and later review inform the activities. These studies do not establish the effectiveness of this specific lesson.
- Karpicke and Roediger: The critical importance of retrieval for learning
- Butler and Roediger: Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple choice testing
- Institute of Education Sciences: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
- Rittle Johnson and Star: Compared to what?