Greetings and the verb ĂȘtre · A1
Ătre is one of the two most important verbs in French (the other is avoir). You will use it constantly, so learn this table by heart before anything else.
| Subject | ĂȘtre | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | suis | I am |
| tu | es | you are (informal) |
| il / elle / on | est | he / she / one is |
| nous | sommes | we are |
| vous | ĂȘtes | you are (formal/plural) |
| ils / elles | sont | they are |
Examples:
Tip: Unlike English, French has no equivalent of "it" that works the same way â you will meet il and ce later, but for now, focus on the 6 forms above.
Marie: Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Marie. Et toi, comment tu t'appelles ?
Karim: Salut Marie ! Je m'appelle Karim. Je suis Ă©tudiant.
Marie: Ah, moi aussi ! Tu es de Paris ?
Karim: Non, je suis de Lyon. Et toi ?
Marie: Je suis parisienne. Enchantée, Karim !
Karim: Enchanté !
Read it out loud once, then try translating it in your head before checking a dictionary.
French has two ways to say "you": tu (informal â friends, family, people your age) and vous (formal â strangers, elders, professional settings, or anyone plural). Using tu with the wrong person can come across as rude, so when in doubt, start with vous.
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | hello / good day | Bonjour, comment allez-vous ? |
| salut | hi / bye (informal) | Salut, ça va ? |
| je m'appelle | my name is | Je m'appelle Karim. |
| enchanté(e) | nice to meet you | Enchanté, Marie ! |
| Ă©tudiant(e) | student | Je suis Ă©tudiante Ă Paris. |
| et toi ? | and you? (informal) | Je vais bien, et toi ? |
| comment | how | Comment tu t'appelles ? |
| aussi | also / too | Moi aussi, je suis Ă©tudiant. |
| oui / non | yes / no | Oui, je suis de Lyon. |
| merci | thank you | Merci beaucoup ! |
These get added to your Vocabulary review queue automatically when you complete the unit.
Listening: Français Authentique â Basics playlist â Slow, clear French aimed at true beginners.
Listening: RFI Savoirs â Le Journal en français facile â Daily simplified news, good once basics feel steady.
Speaking: Practice prompt â Record yourself on your phone: introduce yourself in 30 seconds using je m'appelle, je suis, and one aussi sentence. Listen back and compare to the dialogue above.
1. Choose the correct form: "Nous ___ Ă©tudiants."
2. Choose the correct form: "Tu ___ fatigué ?"
3. Complete: "Je ___ Ă©tudiante." (write the correct form of ĂȘtre)
4. Complete: "Ils ___ de Lyon." (write the correct form of ĂȘtre)
5. What does "Enchanté(e)" mean?
6. Which is informal "you"?