What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Il est mort literally translates to 'He is dead', but it is the standard way to express the completed action 'He died'.
Which one should you use?
While Il est mort is the standard way to report the fact, other forms exist depending on the tone. For example, Il est décédé acts as a euphemism similar to 'he passed away', while Il nous a quittés (he left us) carries a slightly more emotional tone. For poetic or metaphorical contexts, you can use Il a rendu son dernier souffle. If you want to emphasize the loss of life itself, you can use Il a perdu la vie. In casual speech, Il est parti (he left) can be used as an informal way to say he died.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the auxiliary verb être (to be) rather than avoir (to have) to form the passé composé.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the auxiliary avoir (to have) when translating this phrase. For example, do not say Il a mort, as this is incorrect. You must use être to say Il est mort.
Did you know?
- The word est is one of only two words in modern French where a silent internal 's' from its Latin origin is preserved, the other being the name Jésus-Christ.
- In French, death is treated as a change of state rather than an action, which is why the phrase Il est mort uses the verb 'to be' instead of 'to have'.
- The verb décéder is used specifically as a formal legal and administrative term, making it the functional equivalent of the English adjective 'deceased'.
Examples in context
- Il est mort jeune.He died young.Tatoeba #6385601 by Yemana, translation #6383545 by Hybrid
- Il est mort à 70 ans.He died at the age of seventy.Tatoeba #130646 by dominiko, translation #288636 by CK
- Il est mort en prison.He died in prison.Tatoeba #4702160 by sacredceltic, translation #2342525 by Hybrid
- Avec une profonde tristesse, nous vous annonçons que notre cher ami nous a quittés.With deep sadness, we announce to you that our dear friend has left us.
- Le soldat a malheureusement perdu la vie lors de cette tragique bataille.The soldier unfortunately lost his life during this tragic battle.
- Elle a combattu vaillamment jusqu'au bout et a rendu son dernier souffle entourée de sa famille.She fought bravely until the end and gave her last breath surrounded by her family.
- C'est triste, mais notre vieux voisin est parti hier. Il va beaucoup nous manquer.It's sad, but our old neighbor left yesterday. He will be greatly missed.
- Mon oncle nous a quittés pour de bon, et il laisse un grand vide dans nos cœurs.My uncle left us for good, and he leaves a great void in our hearts.
- 79 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are discussing a news report.
- GabrielTu as entendu pour le vieux voisin ?Did you hear about the old neighbor?
- ChloéNon, que s'est-il passé ?No, what happened?
- GabrielMalheureusement, il est mort cette nuit.Unfortunately, he died last night.
- ChloéOh non, c'est vraiment triste.Oh no, that is truly sad.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, il, mort, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
