DEC: Lesson - The Verb esse - to be

The Verb esse - to be

To start reading Latin, you will need to be familiar with the irregular verb esse - to be. Irregular verbs are found in every language. Examine the chart below which shows the forms of esse in the present tense. Be sure to memorize the Latin forms and the English translations.

Esse - present tense forms

Latin Singular	Latin Plural	English Singular	English Plural
sum	sumus	I am	we are
es	estis	you are	you (pl) are
est	sunt	he, she it is	they are

The irregular verb forms above are linking verbs. Linking verbs link the subject of the sentence to other nouns or adjectives. Here are a few examples of the irregular verb used in Latin.

Translating with Esse

Latin Phrase	English Translation
Sum Romanus.	I am Roman.
Est Romanus.	He is Roman.
Sunt Romani.	They are Romans.