suis

Suis is the first-person singular present indicative form of the French verb être, meaning "to be." It is used with the subject je to express identity, state, or description, as in Je suis étudiant (I am a student) or Je suis content (I am happy). It can also indicate origin or position in a copular sense, though origin is often expressed with venir or with phrases like être originaire de.

In the present tense, the full conjugation of être is: je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont. The form suis specifically corresponds to I am. This verb form is foundational in French, appearing in countless everyday expressions and constructions.

Usage notes include negation and question formation. To negate, French places ne before the verb and pas after it: Je ne suis pas fatigué. For questions, être can be inverted with the subject: Suis-je prêt? In informal spoken French, the phrase je suis can be rendered in writing as j’suis to reflect pronunciation, for example J’suis content.

Etymology: suis derives from the Latin sum, via Old French, reflecting the long historical development of the verb être in the Romance languages. As an irregular verb, être and its forms, including suis, do not follow a simple pattern like regular -er verbs.

See also: être; French verb conjugation; French language.