Learning how to say “is” in French can be helpful when speaking or writing in the language. In English, the word “is” connects the subject to more information about it. For example, in the sentence “The cat is small,” the word “is” shows what the cat is like.
French has different ways to say “is” depending on the subject and context. In this article, you will learn how to say “is” in French, discover other similar expressions, learn responses, and practice using exercises. By the end, you’ll feel more confident using this word in French conversations.
Ways to Say “Is” in French
The word “is” is commonly used in French to link subjects to descriptions or actions. Depending on the context and the subject, different forms are used. Below are common ways to say “is” in French, along with their meanings and example sentences.
1. Est (eh)
Meaning: Used with “il,” “elle,” or “on” (he, she, one).
In a Sentence:
- Il est gentil. (He is kind.)
- Elle est en retard. (She is late.)
2. C’est (say)
Meaning: This is/It is.
In a Sentence:
- C’est mon livre. (This is my book.)
- C’est incroyable! (It’s amazing!)
3. Ça est (sah eh)
Meaning: Rarely used, meaning “that is.”
In a Sentence:
- Ça est étrange. (That is strange.)
4. Voici (vwah-see)
Meaning: Here is/Here are.
In a Sentence:
- Voici mon chien. (Here is my dog.)
- Voici le gâteau! (Here is the cake!)
5. Voilà (vwah-lah)
Meaning: There is/There are.
In a Sentence:
- Voilà la réponse! (There is the answer!)
- Voilà mes clés. (There are my keys.)
6. Il y a (eel yah)
Meaning: There is/There are.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un problème. (There is a problem.)
- Il y a des gens dehors. (There are people outside.)
7. Se trouve (suh troov)
Meaning: Is located.
In a Sentence:
- L’école se trouve près du parc. (The school is near the park.)
- La maison se trouve ici. (The house is here.)
8. Reste (rest)
Meaning: Stays/Is still.
In a Sentence:
- Il reste calme. (He stays calm.)
- Elle reste à la maison. (She is still at home.)
9. Devient (duh-vyah)
Meaning: Becomes.
In a Sentence:
- Il devient médecin. (He is becoming a doctor.)
- Cela devient compliqué. (This is becoming complicated.)
10. Demeure (duh-meur)
Meaning: Remains/Is still.
In a Sentence:
- Le mystère demeure. (The mystery remains.)
- Il demeure ici. (He still lives here.)
11. Apparaît (ah-pah-ray)
Meaning: Appears/Is seen.
In a Sentence:
- Il apparaît à la fin du film. (He appears at the end of the movie.)
- Son nom apparaît sur la liste. (His name is on the list.)
12. Fait partie de (feh par-tee duh)
Meaning: Is part of.
In a Sentence:
- Elle fait partie du groupe. (She is part of the group.)
- Cela fait partie du travail. (This is part of the job.)
13. Devra être (duh-vrah etr)
Meaning: Must be/Will be.
In a Sentence:
- Cela devra être prêt demain. (It must be ready tomorrow.)
- Il devra être présent. (He must be present.)
14. Semble (sahm-bluh)
Meaning: Seems.
In a Sentence:
- Il semble fatigué. (He seems tired.)
- Cela semble correct. (That seems right.)
15. Paraît (pah-ray)
Meaning: Appears/Seems.
In a Sentence:
- Il paraît heureux. (He appears happy.)
- Cela paraît étrange. (That seems strange.)
16. Existe (ehg-zeest)
Meaning: Exists/Is present.
In a Sentence:
- Ce lieu existe encore. (This place still exists.)
- Le danger existe. (The danger is real.)
17. Devient réalité (duh-vyah reh-ah-lee-tay)
Meaning: Becomes reality.
In a Sentence:
- Le rêve devient réalité. (The dream becomes reality.)
- Son projet devient réalité. (His project is becoming real.)
18. Représente (ruh-pray-zahnt)
Meaning: Represents/Is.
In a Sentence:
- Cela représente un défi. (This is a challenge.)
- La peinture représente un paysage. (The painting is a landscape.)
19. Fait office de (feh oh-fees duh)
Meaning: Acts as/Serves as.
In a Sentence:
- Cette pièce fait office de bureau. (This room serves as an office.)
- Le livre fait office de guide. (The book acts as a guide.)
20. Constitue (kohn-stee-tue)
Meaning: Is/Forms/Constitutes.
In a Sentence:
- Cela constitue un problème. (That is a problem.)
- Cette action constitue un crime. (This act is a crime.)
21. Sert de (sehr duh)
Meaning: Serves as/Acts as.
In a Sentence:
- Le garage sert de rangement. (The garage acts as storage.)
- Cette table sert de bureau. (This table serves as a desk.)
22. Désigne (deh-zeen-yuh)
Meaning: Refers to/Is called.
In a Sentence:
- Ce mot désigne un animal. (This word refers to an animal.)
- Le terme désigne une personne courageuse. (The term means a brave person.)
23. Symbolise (sahm-boh-leez)
Meaning: Symbolizes/Represents.
In a Sentence:
- La colombe symbolise la paix. (The dove symbolizes peace.)
- Cette fleur symbolise l’amour. (This flower represents love.)
24. Implique (ahm-pleek)
Meaning: Means/Involves.
In a Sentence:
- Cela implique des responsabilités. (This means responsibilities.)
- Le poste implique de voyager. (The job involves traveling.)
25. Se révèle (suh reh-vel)
Meaning: Turns out to be.
In a Sentence:
- L’histoire se révèle vraie. (The story turns out to be true.)
- Le plan se révèle compliqué. (The plan turns out to be complicated.)
Other Ways to Say “Is” in French
Below is a table of alternative ways to say “is” in French. Each entry includes pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Est situé | eh see-tway | Is located | L’hôtel est situé en ville. (The hotel is located in the city.) |
| Se manifeste | suh mah-nee-fest | Is shown/Appears | Son talent se manifeste tôt. (His talent appears early.) |
| Fait partie | feh par-tee | Is part of | Elle fait partie du groupe. (She is part of the group.) |
| Concerne | kohn-sern | Is about/Concerns | Cela concerne tout le monde. (This concerns everyone.) |
| Représente | ruh-pray-zahnt | Represents/Is | Cette peinture représente un paysage. (This painting represents a landscape.) |
| Est visible | eh vee-zee-bluh | Is visible | La montagne est visible de loin. (The mountain is visible from far away.) |
| S’apparente à | sah-pah-rahnt ah | Is similar to | Cela s’apparente à un miracle. (This is similar to a miracle.) |
| Constitue | kohn-stee-tue | Forms/Is | Cela constitue un défi. (This forms a challenge.) |
| Sert de | sehr duh | Acts as/Is used as | Cette salle sert de bureau. (This room acts as an office.) |
| Est considéré comme | eh kohn-see-day kom | Is considered as | Il est considéré comme un expert. (He is considered an expert.) |
| Est présent | eh pray-zahn | Is present | Le professeur est présent aujourd’hui. (The teacher is present today.) |
| Est employé | eh ahm-plwah-yay | Is used | Ce mot est employé fréquemment. (This word is used often.) |
| Est inclus | eh ahn-kloo | Is included | Le dessert est inclus dans le menu. (The dessert is included in the menu.) |
| Se compose de | suh kohm-pohz duh | Is made of/Consists of | Le groupe se compose de cinq musiciens. (The group consists of five musicians.) |
| Est désigné | eh deh-zeen-yay | Is designated | Le bâtiment est désigné site historique. (The building is designated a historical site.) |
Responses to “Is” in French
Responding to statements with “is” in French can involve agreement, clarification, or providing more details. Below are common responses you can use in conversations.
1. C’est vrai (say vreh)
Meaning: That’s true.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Le film est intéressant. (The movie is interesting.)
- Person 2: C’est vrai! (That’s true!)
2. Exactement (eg-zakt-mohn)
Meaning: Exactly.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: L’école est ouverte à 8h. (The school opens at 8 a.m.)
- Person 2: Exactement! (Exactly!)
3. Je suis d’accord (juh swee dah-kohr)
Meaning: I agree.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cette idée est géniale. (This idea is great.)
- Person 2: Je suis d’accord! (I agree!)
4. Pas vraiment (pah vreh-mahn)
Meaning: Not really.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Le dessert est délicieux. (The dessert is delicious.)
- Person 2: Pas vraiment. (Not really.)
5. Peut-être (puh-teh-truh)
Meaning: Maybe.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Il est disponible demain. (He is available tomorrow.)
- Person 2: Peut-être. (Maybe.)
6. Absolument (ahb-so-loo-mahn)
Meaning: Absolutely.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: C’est une bonne idée! (That’s a good idea!)
- Person 2: Absolument! (Absolutely!)
7. C’est faux (say foh)
Meaning: That’s false.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Il est professeur ici. (He is a teacher here.)
- Person 2: C’est faux. (That’s false.)
8. Bien sûr (byehn sewr)
Meaning: Of course.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Le musée est ouvert aujourd’hui? (Is the museum open today?)
- Person 2: Bien sûr! (Of course!)
9. Je ne pense pas (juh nuh pahnss pah)
Meaning: I don’t think so.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Il est déjà parti. (He is already gone.)
- Person 2: Je ne pense pas. (I don’t think so.)
10. Je crois que oui (juh krwah kuh wee)
Meaning: I think so.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Est-il toujours au bureau? (Is he still at the office?)
- Person 2: Je crois que oui. (I think so.)
Exercise to Practice Using “Is” in French
Fill in the blanks with the correct way to say “is” in French. Use the words from the list provided. Each sentence is in French, with meanings given afterward.
Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences:
- La maison ______ près du parc.
- Mon frère ______ en vacances cette semaine.
- Voici Marie, elle ______ ma meilleure amie.
- Le magasin ______ ouvert le dimanche.
- Il ______ déjà tard, nous devons partir!
- La solution ______ simple et rapide.
- Cette voiture ______ rouge et noire.
- Le professeur ______ absent aujourd’hui.
- C’est ici que l’école ______ située.
- L’enfant ______ très intelligent pour son âge.
- Le gâteau ______ délicieux!
- La réunion ______ prévue à 14h.
Correct Answers:
- est (The house is near the park.)
- est (My brother is on vacation this week.)
- est (Here’s Marie, she is my best friend.)
- est (The store is open on Sundays.)
- est (It is already late, we must leave!)
- est (The solution is simple and fast.)
- est (This car is red and black.)
- est (The teacher is absent today.)
- est (This is where the school is located.)
- est (The child is very intelligent for their age.)
- est (The cake is delicious!)
- est (The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “is” in French is essential for speaking and understanding the language. Whether you are describing something, asking questions, or giving information, knowing the right form of “is” helps you communicate clearly.
Keep practicing the different ways to say “is” in French. Use them in conversations, exercises, and real-life situations. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel to use these expressions correctly. Bonne chance! (Good luck!)