How to Say "Is" in French - How To Say Guide

est

/ɛst/

The English word 'is' is translated into French as est.

est is the third person singular present form of the verb 'to be'. It is used to describe a state or an identity.

Which one should you use?

While est is the third-person singular form, sont is the third-person plural form (are).

The form est is used with third-person singular subjects, such as il (he), elle (she) or on (one/we).

/ɛst/

While est describes a state, it is used in the phrase est-ce que to turn any statement into a question, regardless of whether the sentence is actually about being something.
Aside from Jésus-Christ, est is the only word in modern French where a silent internal 's' is still kept in the spelling.
In formal writing, est can be replaced by se trouve when describing a location to avoid repetition and add elegance to the prose.

Il est ici !
Here he is!
This sentence shows how to use est to indicate someone's location.
Tatoeba #10192 by sacredceltic, translation #71715 by CK
Où est Jim ?
Where is Jim?
This sentence shows how to use est when asking for someone's location.
Tatoeba #644874 by Micsmithel, translation #53312 by CN
Qui est là ?
Who is there?
This sentence shows how to use est when asking about someone's presence.
Tatoeba #1158571 by sacredceltic, translation #871554 by CK
Il est heureux.
He is happy.
Elle est médecin.
She is a doctor.
Le livre est intéressant.
The book is interesting.
Nous sommes fatigués.
We are tired.
Je suis Pierre Dupont.
I am Pierre Dupont.
C'est génial !
It is great!
C'est difficile.
It is difficult.
C'est mon frère.
He is my brother.
Elle a les cheveux blonds.
She has blond hair.
Elle a faim.
She is hungry.
Il fait chaud.
It is hot.
14683 more sentences on Tatoeba

Léa and Hugo are looking at a photo of a man.

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