For example, here's a sample conjugation of the English verb to be and its Latin and French equivalents, esse and être.
Form / Person | English | Latin | French |
---|---|---|---|
Infinitive | to be | esse | être |
1st singular | I am | sum | je suis |
2nd singular | you are | es | tu es |
3rd singular | he, she, or it is | est | il/elle est |
1st plural | we are | sumus | nous sommes |
2nd plural | you are | estis | vous êtes |
3rd plural | they are | sunt | ils/elles sont |
Note that the similarity between English is and Latin est is not a mere coincidence, but rather one of the consequences of them having a distant common ancestor (see Indo-European languages). French is a derivative of Latin, which explains the much greater similarity in the way their conjugate this verb.
See also /Declension