Subject Pronouns and Être — Les Pronoms Sujets et Être
French has 8 subject pronouns and the verb être (to be) is irregular from the start
The 8 Subject Pronouns
French has more subject pronouns than English. The key additions are tu (informal you, singular) vs vous (formal or plural), and ils/elles (they — gender-matched).
French
English
Notes
je
I
→ j' before vowel
tu
you (1 person, informal)
friends, family, children
il / elle
he / she / it
also replaces masculine/feminine nouns
nous
we
formal; spoken French often uses on
vous
you (formal OR plural)
singular polite or any group
ils / elles
they
ils = mixed or all-male; elles = all-female
Tu vs Vous
This distinction doesn't exist in modern English but is crucial in French.
tu — talking to a friend, family member, child, pet, or equal in informal context
vous — talking to a stranger, someone older, an authority figure, your boss, or to any group of 2+ people
Using tu with a stranger can be rude. Using vous with a close friend is stilted.
Young people often use tu more widely. In doubt: use vous.
Être — To Be (Irregular)
This is the most important verb to memorise. It's irregular — no pattern to follow.
Pronoun
Être
English
je
suis
I am
tu
es
you are
il/elle/on
est
he/she/it is
nous
sommes
we are
vous
êtes
you are
ils/elles
sont
they are
Using Être: Descriptions and Identities
Être expresses identity, nationality, profession, origin, and descriptions.
Je suis étudiant(e). — I am a student.
Tu es français(e)? — Are you French?
Il est médecin. — He is a doctor.
Elle est grande. — She is tall.
Nous sommes de Paris. — We are from Paris.
Vous êtes professeur? — Are you a teacher? (polite)
Ils sont fatigués. — They are tired.
⚠️ No article before professions: Il est médecin, NOT Il est un médecin.
On — The Informal We
In everyday spoken French, on is used more often than nous for "we". It uses the same verb form as il/elle.
On est en retard. — We're late. (everyday)
Nous sommes en retard. — We are late. (formal/written)
On also means "one" / "people in general": On parle français ici. (French is spoken here.)
On + verb = il/elle form: on est, on parle, on va
Common Mistakes
I is always capital
→
je (lowercase unless first word)
In French, je is only capitalised at the start of a sentence.
ils for mixed groups
→
ils sont (not elles)
If a group has even one male in it, use ils. Only an all-female group uses elles.
No article with professions + être
→
Il est médecin
After être, professions take no article: Elle est infirmière, not une infirmière.
vous = singular polite
→
Vous êtes Madame Dupont?
Vous can refer to just one person if you're being formal or polite.