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SOME KEY GRAMMAR RULES CAN HELP WITH THIS SOMETIMES-TRICKY FRENCH PHRASE All French learners understand the pain of French grammar and the seemingly endless rules and caveats.  One of the

most common challenges is knowing when to use ‘il est’ and ‘c’est’.  Both phrases have the meaning “it is” or “he/she is,” but they are used in different contexts.  However, the simple

phrases are used dozens of times a day (just as you say he/she/it is in English) so it can be important to learn the correct us Below, we cover the rules for when each one is used. WHEN TO

USE ‘IL EST’ / ‘ELLE EST’ Below are the other situations when il / elle est are used in French: Describing Someone or Something Use il/elle est when describing someone or something with an

adjective, for example:  • Il est gentil (He is kind.) • Il est tard (It is late.) Professions Use il/elle est when stating the profession of a person. You do not use an article when using

il/elle. • Il est médecin. (He is a doctor.) • Elle est avocate. (She is a lawyer.) However if the profession is preceded by an article in the sentence, you must use c’est instead: • C’est

un médecin. (He’s a doctor.) • C’est une avocate. (She’s a lawyer.) Nationalities and Religions Use il/elle est to describe someone’s nationality, religion, or political affiliation. This is

again done without using an article. • Il est français. (He is French.) • Elle est bouddhiste. (She is Buddhist.) WHEN TO USE 'C’EST' Identifying Someone or Something Use c’est

when identifying or introducing someone or something, often followed by a noun, for example:  • C’est Marie. (It’s Marie.) • C’est mon frère. (That’s my brother.) • C’est une bonne idée !

(That’s a good idea!) With Articles and Possessive Adjectives When the description includes an article (un, une, le, la) or a possessive adjective (mon, ma, son, sa), use c’est: • C’est un

professeur. (He/She is a teacher.) • C’est ma maison. (That’s my house.) • C’est le problème ! (That’s the problem!) With Pronouns Use c’est before pronouns such as moi, toi, lui, elle, etc.

• C’est moi ! (It’s me!) • C’est toi ? (Is that you?) Read more: Learning French: beware of bilingual instructions