est
/ɛst/
In French, est is the third-person singular present tense of the verb 'to be'.
Meaning: English subtitles (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebecois French, the informal form y'est is often used instead of il est or c'est.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛst/
Did you know?
- The word est used as the verb 'is' is a linguistic outlier because it is one of only two words in modern French that keeps a silent internal 's' in its spelling, the other being Jésus-Christ.
- Aside from its role as a verb, the written word est also designates the direction 'east', which is a cognate of the English word 'east'.
Examples in context
- Il est intelligent.He is intelligent.
- Elle est charmante.She is charming.
- Mon ami est médecin.My friend is a doctor.
- C'est facile.It is easy.
- C'est beau ici.It's beautiful here.
- C'est la vie.That's life.
- Ça, c'est incroyable !That's incredible!
- Ça, c'est mon petit chien.That's my little dog.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are choosing a movie to watch.
- ChloéCe film est en japonais.This movie is in Japanese.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'il y a l'est ?Are there English subtitles?
- ChloéOui, l'est est disponible.Yes, English subtitles are available.
- GabrielParfait, on peut le regarder.Perfect, we can watch it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry est, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, CC BY-SA 4.0.
