Published August 7, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Être sur le point de — Meaning and pronunciation
Être sur le point de + infinitive is a French expression meaning “to be about to” or “to be on the verge of” doing something. It indicates that an action is expected to happen very soon. For example, “Je suis sur le point de partir” (I’m about to leave). This expression requires knowledge of the être conjugation (to be).
Pronunciation: /ɛtʁ syʁ lə pwɛ̃ də/, approximately “ehtr sewr luh pwan duh.”
Example Sentences
Dépêche-toi, le train est sur le point de partir !
Hurry up, the train is about to leave!
Je suis sur le point de finir mon travail.
I’m about to finish my work.
Prends ton parapluie, il est sur le point de pleuvoir.
Take your umbrella; it’s about to rain.
J’étais sur le point de t’appeler quand tu as sonné à la porte.
I was about to call you when you rang the doorbell.
Related lesson: Venir de + infinitive = “just + verb”.
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Related words and expressions
- faillir + infinitive — to almost do something
- être près de — to be close to
- être à deux doigts de — to be on the verge of
- être en passe de — to be on the way to
- être à la veille de — to be on the eve of
- être prêt à — to be ready to
📚 Related lessons
👉 Être conjugation (to be) »
👉 Être expressions »
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