French tutor in Paris - French lessons in Paris
- Caroline Le Crane
- Oct 6
- 1 min read
Updated: Oct 16
“Il est” vs “C’est”

Both mean “he is / it is”, but they are not used in the same situations.
✅ 1. “Il est / Elle est”
Used before an adjective, a profession (without article), or to describe a known person or thing.
Structure:➡️ il/elle est + adjective / profession / preposition
Examples:
Il est gentil. → He is kind.
Elle est professeur. → She is a teacher.
Il est à la maison. → He is at home.
💡 No article after il est / elle est
✅ 2. “C’est / Ce sont”
Used before a noun (with an article, possessive, or proper name) or to introduce / identify something or someone.
Structure:➡️ C’est + article + noun / name pronoun
Examples:
C’est un ami. → He’s a friend.
C’est mon frère. → He’s my brother.
C’est une idée intéressante. → It’s an interesting idea.
Ce sont mes parents. → They are my parents.
💡 Always use an article or possessive (un, une, le, la, mon, ma, etc.)
⚠️ So why “Il est mon ami” is wrong?
Because “mon ami” (my friend) is a noun with a possessive, and after il est, you cannot use a noun like that.You must use “C’est mon ami” ✅
👉❌ Il est mon ami✅ C’est mon ami





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