A2 · être, avoir and there is
c’est or il est
An article after it means c’est in front of it.
At a glance
- Remember
- An article behind it means c’est in front of it.
- Form
- c’est mon frèrec’est plus an article or a name
- Signal words
- mon
- le
- un
- très
- trop
- Trap
- Wrong:Il est un médecin.Right:Il est médecin. C’est un médecin.
Your turn
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The form
The patterns at a glance
Each row first says when or what the pattern is used for, then gives an example in French.
| c’est plus an article or a name | c’est mon frère |
| c’est plus a stressed adjective | c’est intéressant |
| il est plus an adjective | il est fatigué |
| il est plus a job without an article | il est médecin |
| ce sont plus a plural | ce sont mes parents |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Before an article or a name it is c’est.
C’est le directeur.That is the manager.
Before an adjective describing a person it is il est or elle est.
Elle est très gentille.She is very kind.
A job without an article takes il est.
Il est boulanger.He is a baker.
A general judgement about a thing takes c’est.
C’est difficile.That is difficult.
Example sentences
C’est ma voisine. Elle est architecte.That is my neighbour. She is an architect.
Ce sont des amis de Lyon.They are friends from Lyon.
Le film ? Il est long, mais c’est un bon film.The film? It is long, but it is a good film.
C’est trop cher pour moi.That is too expensive for me.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The job appears twice in different shapes and both are right: Il est médecinwithout an articleC'est un médecinwith one Only the crossing is wrong — Il est un médecin — and it is exactly what «he is a doctor» invites. The test is the article: where there is one, c'est goes in front.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Both come out in English as «it is», «that is» or «he is», so the English sentence gives no clue. The French rule does, and it is worth learning once: *what follows decides*.
If a noun with an article follows, or a name, it is c'est. If a bare adjective follows, or a job without an article, it is il est or elle est.
In the plural these become ce sont and ils sont. English marks none of this, which is why the test has to be mechanical rather than felt: look right, then choose left.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: être