Verb to be: Am, Is, Are
If you speak Portuguese, Spanish, or French, the English verb “to be” can feel deceptively familiar — and then surprisingly tricky. Your language already has a version of this verb. But English plays by different rules, and those differences cause very specific mistakes depending on your native language. In this article I’ll explain exactly what changes, why each language group struggles in a different way, and give you examples you can start using today.
Why your language makes “to be” confusing
All three languages have a verb similar to “to be” — but they each work differently from English in ways that create real confusion.
Portuguese has two verbs for “to be”: ser (permanent) and estar (temporary). English uses just one: to be. That feels simpler — until you realize the verb changes form depending on the subject in a way that Portuguese doesn’t always force you to notice.
Example: Eu sou / Ele é / Nós somos — Portuguese has different forms too, but learners often use them automatically. In English, the agreement rule is stricter and more visible.
Like Portuguese, Spanish has ser and estar. Spanish speakers often transfer this two-verb system into English and expect English to make the same permanent/temporary distinction — it doesn’t. English uses to be for both situations.
Example: Soy cansado vs Estoy cansado — in English, both are simply: I am tired.
French has only one verb, être, like English. That’s an advantage. But French has six different conjugation forms — je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont. English is more regular: I am, he is, they are. Simpler — but still needs attention.
French speakers also sometimes drop the subject pronoun in informal speech. English always requires it. You cannot say “Am ready.” You must say “I am ready.”
The rule: am, is, are
Here is the complete rule. Three forms, one table, memorize it once:
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am a student. |
| He / She / It | is | She is from Paris. |
| You / We / They | are | We are learning English. |
The most common mistakes — by language
Each language group tends to make different mistakes. Find yours and pay extra attention to it.
🇵🇹 Portuguese speakers
Mistake 1: Dropping “am” because Portuguese doesn’t always require it explicitly.
Mistake 2: Using “are” with “he” or “she” by mistake.
🇪🇸 Spanish speakers
Mistake 1: Trying to use two different “to be” verbs in English (because Spanish has ser/estar).
Mistake 2: Dropping the subject pronoun (because Spanish allows soy without yo).
🇫🇷 French speakers
Mistake 1: Confusing “is” and “are” because French est and sont don’t map directly.
Mistake 2: Using “one is” when you mean “we are” (from French on est).
How the three languages compare — side by side
Find your language column and use this as your reference. Notice that English always has just three forms, no matter how many forms your language uses.
| Subject | 🇵🇹 Portuguese | 🇪🇸 Spanish | 🇫🇷 French | 🇬🇧 English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Eu sou / estou | Yo soy / estoy | Je suis | I am |
| He | Ele é / está | Él es / está | Il est | He is |
| She | Ela é / está | Ella es / está | Elle est | She is |
| It | Isso é / está | Eso es / está | C’est | It is |
| You (singular) | Você é / está | Tú eres / estás | Tu es | You are |
| We | Nós somos / estamos | Nosotros somos | Nous sommes | We are |
| You (plural) | Vocês são | Vosotros sois | Vous êtes | You are |
| They | Eles são / estão | Ellos son / están | Ils / Elles sont | They are |
Real sentences you can use today
Read these out loud. Each sentence includes the translation in all three languages so you can find the version that feels most natural to you.
Contractions: how natives really say it
In conversation, native English speakers almost never use the full form. They use contractions — a shorter version that joins the subject and the verb. This is true in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
| Full form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I am | I’m | I’m a student. |
| He is | He’s | He’s my teacher. |
| She is | She’s | She’s from Mexico. |
| It is | It’s | It’s cold today. |
| You are | You’re | You’re doing great! |
| We are | We’re | We’re learning English. |
| They are | They’re | They’re good friends. |
Use contractions when you speak and in informal writing. In formal writing — like a professional email or an essay — the full form is also correct. Both are fine; contractions are simply more natural in speech.
Note for French speakers: French also uses contractions (j’ai, c’est), so this concept will feel familiar. Same idea: drop a letter, add an apostrophe.
Bonus: the negative form
You will need this quickly. To make “to be” negative, add not after the verb. In conversation you can use the short form:
| Positive | Negative (full) | Negative (short) |
|---|---|---|
| I am happy. | I am not happy. | I’m not happy. |
| He is ready. | He is not ready. | He isn’t ready. |
| They are here. | They are not here. | They aren’t here. |
Quick practice: fill in the blank
Choose am, is, or are. The answers are below.
- My dog very friendly.
- I from Brazil / Mexico / France.
- You and your friend good students.
- The weather beautiful today.
- We learning English every day.
- My parents very proud of me.
- She tired after the long trip.
What to remember
- AM is only for “I” — always, no exceptions.
- IS is for he, she, it — one person or thing (not you, not me).
- ARE is for you, we, they — and any combination with another person.
- In conversation, use contractions: I’m, he’s, she’s, we’re, they’re.
- For Portuguese and Spanish speakers: English does not separate permanent and temporary — “to be” covers both ser and estar.
- For Spanish speakers: English always needs the subject pronoun. Never drop it.
- For French speakers: English has only three forms instead of six — simpler, but the agreement rule still applies.
That’s it. One verb, three forms, one rule. Learn it well now and you will never have to think about it again.
If this article helped you, watch the video version on the English in Pieces YouTube channel, where I walk through real dialogues using am, is, and are. And check the shorts on YouTube, TikTok, and Kway for a 45-second review you can watch any time.
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