été
/e.te/
The English word 'been' is translated into French as été.
été is the past participle of the French verb 'être' (to be). It is used to form various past tenses, such as the passé composé, to indicate that someone or something has existed or has been in a certain state or location.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word été is the past participle of the verb 'être'.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.te/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly try to change the spelling of été to agree in gender or number with the subject (for example, writing 'étée').
Did you know?
- The word été is a homonym for the French word for 'summer'.
- While été is the past participle of 'to be', its etymological roots actually link back to the Latin word for 'standing'.
Examples in context
- Où as-tu été ?Where have you been?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's recent location using été.Tatoeba #1845470 by sacredceltic, translation #6026 by CK
- Tom a été viré.Tom has been fired.This sentence shows how to use été in a passive construction to say someone was fired.Tatoeba #6463340 by Aiji, translation #1177513 by CK
- Tu as été dupé.You have been duped.This sentence demonstrates using été to indicate someone has been deceived.Tatoeba #9763469 by lbdx, translation #5753587 by CM
- Elle est allée à Paris pour son anniversaire.She has been to Paris for her birthday.
- J'ai été à la plage.I have been to the beach.
- Elle m'a dit qu'elle avait été malade.She told me she had been sick.
- J'ai été en FranceI have been to France
- 1700 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are talking about a weekend trip.
- LucasTu as été à Paris ?Have you been to Paris?
- ChloéOui, j'y ai été le mois dernier.Yes, I have been there last month.
- LucasC'était comment ?How was it?
- ChloéÇa a été fantastique !It has been fantastic!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry été, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries été, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
