est
/ɛst/
The English phrase 'is' translates to the French word est.
Which one should you use?
Use est for singular subjects (he/she/it) and sont for plural subjects (they).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form est is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb être (to be), which must be conjugated to match the subject. Other forms include suis, es, sommes, êtes and sont.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɛst/.
Did you know?
- In French, the word est is a homonym that also means 'east'.
- Apart from Jésus-Christ, est is the only word in modern French where a silent internal 's' is still kept in the spelling.
- When speaking quickly, the est in c'est is often blended into the next word, making the 't' sound only if the next word begins with a vowel.
Examples in context
- Il est ici !Here he is!Tatoeba #10192 by sacredceltic, translation #71715 by CK
- Où est Jim ?Where is Jim?Tatoeba #644874 by Micsmithel, translation #53312 by CN
- Qui est là ?Who is there?Tatoeba #1158571 by sacredceltic, translation #871554 by CK
- Il est intelligent.He is intelligent.
- Elle s'appelle Marie.She is called Marie.
- Il se trouve à Paris.He is located in Paris.
- C'est génial!It's great!
- On se retrouve chez moi.We're meeting up at my place.
- Il devient de plus en plus fort.He is becoming stronger and stronger.
- 14683 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are looking for a book in the living room.
- NathanOù est le livre ?Where is the book?
- ChloéIl est sur la table.It is on the table.
- NathanC'est le bon livre ?Is it the right book?
- ChloéOui, c'est celui-là.Yes, it is that one.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
