Être is one of the most versatile verbs in French. It doesn’t just mean “to be” – it slips into dozens of everyday expressions where English throws a completely different verb at you. If you’ve ever stumbled over je suis faim (I’m hunger) instead of j’ai faim, you already know that être can be a bit of a trickster. This list rounds up about 60 être expressions that you’ll actually use in real conversations.
Every expression pairs a clear meaning with a real-life example so you can see exactly how it slots into a French sentence – no guesswork, just practical vocabulary that helps you sound more like yourself.
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Quick Quiz
You’ve studied the list – now see what stuck. The quiz below is a low-pressure way to check your grasp of these être expressions.
Browse the Full List
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| gratte | axe |
| hi | hee |
| if | yew |
| ji | jay |
| lâ | laa |
| lente | nit |
| Léon | Leo |
| lessive | lye |
| mendier | beg |
| MIA | PAM |
| mina | Gen |
| na | ner |
| nonne | nun |
| PDG | CEO |
| pingouin | auk |
| pois | pea |
| pourriture | rot |
| rajouter | add |
| rame | oar |
| religieuse | nun |
| remorque | tow |
| ROC | OCR |
| sanglier | pig |
| sapin | fir |
| scie | saw |
