1. French Subject Pronouns (Les Pronoms Sujets)
In French, every verb changes its ending depending on the subject pronoun. Unlike English, French distinguishes between informal singular tu and formal/plural vous, as well as masculine/mixed plural ils and all-feminine plural elles.
| French Pronoun | English Meaning | Pronunciation Cue | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je / J' | I | zhuh / zh | Becomes J' before a vowel or silent h (e.g., J'ai, J'habite). |
| Tu | You (singular informal) | tyoo | With one friend, family member, child, or peer. |
| Il | He / It (masculine) | eel | For a male person or any masculine singular noun (le train → il). |
| Elle | She / It (feminine) | ehl | For a female person or any feminine singular noun (la voiture → elle). |
| On | We (informal) / One / People | ohn (nasal) | Very common in everyday spoken French to mean "we" (takes il/elle verb form). |
| Nous | We (formal/written) | noo | Standard "we" in writing and formal speech. |
| Vous | You (formal OR plural) | voo | For one person politely (boss, stranger) OR any group of 2+ people. |
| Ils | They (masculine or mixed) | eel (s is silent) | For 2+ males OR a mixed group of males and females. |
| Elles | They (feminine only) | ehl (s is silent) | Strictly for a group of 100% female people or feminine nouns. |
2. Present Tense of Être (To Be) & Avoir (To Have)
Être and Avoir are the two most important verbs in French. They are used to describe identity, professions, nationalities, possessions, age, and later as helping verbs in the past tense (passé composé).
| Subject | Être (To Be) | Pronunciation | Avoir (To Have) | Pronunciation (with Liaison) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je / J' | je suis | zhuh swee | j'ai | zhay |
| Tu | tu es | tyoo eh | tu as | tyoo ah |
| Il / Elle / On | il/elle/on est | eel/ehl/ohn eh | il/elle/on a | eel/ehl/ohn ah |
| Nous | nous sommes | noo sohm | nous avons | noo-zavohn |
| Vous | vous êtes | voo-zeht | vous avez | voo-zavay |
| Ils / Elles | ils/elles sont | eel/ehl sohn | ils/elles ont | eel-zohn / ehl-zohn |
3. Everyday Expressions That Use AVOIR (Not Être!)
In English we say "I am 25 years old" or "I am hungry," using the verb to be. In French, these expressions literally translate as "I have 25 years" or "I have hunger" and must use AVOIR:
| French Expression | English Meaning | Real-Life French Example |
|---|---|---|
| avoir ... ans | to be ... years old | J'ai trente ans. (I am 30 years old.) |
| avoir faim / avoir soif | to be hungry / thirsty | Tu as faim ou tu as soif ? (Are you hungry or thirsty?) |
| avoir froid / avoir chaud | to feel cold / hot (person) | En hiver, nous avons froid. (In winter, we feel cold.) |
| avoir peur (de) | to be afraid (of) | Il a peur des chiens. (He is afraid of dogs.) |
| avoir sommeil | to be sleepy | Les enfants ont sommeil. (The children are sleepy.) |
| avoir raison / avoir tort | to be right / to be wrong | Vous avez raison ! (You are right!) |
| avoir besoin de / d' | to need | J'ai besoin d'un stylo. (I need a pen.) |
| avoir envie de / d' | to feel like / want | Elle a envie de voyager. (She feels like traveling.) |
- Age Trap: Never say Je suis 20 ans. Always use avoir: J'ai 20 ans.
- They Have vs. They Are: Ils ont (O-N-T = they have, from avoir) vs. Ils sont (S-O-N-T = they are, from être).
- Elision in Negation: Before a vowel, ne becomes n': Je n'ai pas, Tu n'es pas, Il n'est pas.
- Mixed Group Rule: Paul et Marie (1 man + 1 woman) always take Ils, never Elles.
Frequently Asked Questions — Subject Pronouns & Verbs Être and Avoir
Why do we say 'J'ai 25 ans' instead of 'Je suis 25 ans' in French?
In French, age is expressed as a number of years you possess ('I have 25 years'). Therefore, you always conjugate the verb avoir (J'ai 25 ans, Tu as quel âge ?) rather than être.
What is the difference between 'ils sont' and 'ils ont'?
'Ils sont' (with an s) is the third-person plural of être and means 'they are' (pronounced eel sohn). 'Ils ont' is the third-person plural of avoir and means 'they have' (pronounced eel-zohn with a z liaison sound).
When should I use 'on' instead of 'nous'?
In everyday spoken French, native speakers almost always use 'on' to mean 'we' (e.g., On est prêts = We are ready). 'On' always takes the third-person singular verb form (same as il/elle: on est, on a). Use 'nous sommes / nous avons' in formal writing.
When do I use 'tu' vs. 'vous' in French?
Use 'tu' when speaking to one friend, family member, classmate, or child. Use 'vous' when speaking politely to one person you don't know well (a waiter, doctor, interviewer, or elder) AND whenever you are addressing two or more people.