LE VERBE ETRE : TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Like Aller, the verb "être" is highly irregular and presents many challenges. 


The verb être springs from three different latin verbs : 
  • Esse, which gives the infinitive estre, and the present forms tu es, il est, vous êtes.
  • fuo, which gives us the preterit je fus and the subjunctive je fusse ; 
  • stare, which gives us  the imperfect j'etais, and the participe présent etant, et le participe passé eté.
The forms Je suis, nous sommes, ils sont come from the latin "Sum, sumus and sunt".