Plural pronouns and 'to be' (nous sommes, vous êtes)

Plural Subject Pronouns

To talk about groups of people, use the plural subject pronouns:

• nous (we)
• vous (you, plural)
• ils (they, masculine or mixed group)
• elles (they, strictly feminine)

'Être' in the Plural

The verb être (to be) changes its form to match the plural pronouns:

Making Words Plural

When speaking about groups, remember these two rules:

1. Adjectives and nouns take an -s: Just like in English, add an -s to the end of a noun or adjective to make it plural (e.g., petit becomes petits). This plural -s is usually silent.
2. The plural of un/une is des: The singular articles un and une become des in the plural (translating to "some" or left out entirely in English).

Ils vs. Elles

Ils is used for a group of men or a mixed group. Elles is used only for a group consisting entirely of women (or feminine nouns).

Matching Gender and Number

Because adjectives must match the subject, an adjective describing a feminine plural subject takes an -es at the end. Notice how the adjective changes form depending on who is being described: