Passé Composé
The passé composé (see the past
tense) is usually formed by following the present tense of avoir
with a past participle.
| j' |
ai aimé |
| tu |
as aimé |
| il/elle |
a aimé |
| nous |
avons aimé |
| vous |
avez aimé |
| ils/elles |
ont aimé |
|
| j' |
ai vendu |
| tu |
as vendu |
| il/elle |
a vendu |
| nous |
avons vendu |
| vous |
avez vendu |
| ils/elles |
ont vendu |
|
| j' |
ai choisi |
| tu |
as choisi |
| il/elle |
a choisi |
| nous |
avons choisi |
| vous |
avez choisi |
| ils/elles |
ont choisi |
|
Verbs Using Être When Intransitive
For certain verbs, listed in the tables below, the passé composé
is not formed with avoir but with être. This
is the case only when these verbs are used intransitively (that is to
say when they don't take an object) which for these verbs is the vast
majority of the time. When they do take an object, the customary avoir
form is used.
|
| je |
suis arrivé(e) |
| tu |
es arrivé(e) |
| il/on |
est arrivé |
| elle |
est arrivée |
| nous |
sommes arrivé(e)s |
| vous |
êtes arrivé(e)s |
| ils |
sont arrivés |
| elles |
sont arrivées |
|
|
| arriver |
arrivé |
to arrive |
| aller |
allé |
to go |
| descendre |
descendu |
to descend |
| entrer |
entré |
to enter |
| monter |
monté |
to climb |
| mourir |
mort |
to die |
| naître |
né |
to be born |
|
| partir |
parti |
to leave |
| rester |
resté |
to remain |
| retourner |
retourné |
to return |
| sortir |
sorti |
to exit |
| tomber |
tombé |
to fall |
| venir |
venu |
to come |
|
Elle est retournée. She returned.
Elle a retourné le livre. She returned the book.
Verbs based on the above verbs such as devenir, revenir, and
rentrer also use être when used intransitively.
Colette est devenue une écrivain extraordinaire.
Colette became a remarkable writer.
Apparent in the sentences above, when être is used to form the
passé composé, the past participle always agrees
with the subject. When avoir is used, the past participle agrees only
with preceding direct objects (see PDO
agreement).
When the subject and object of a verb have a reflexive relationship - the subject
does something to itself (see pronomials
(reflexives)), the auxiliary verb is always être.
Marie s'est réveillée à six heures. Marie a réveillé les enfants à
six heures.
Marie woke up at six o'clock. Marie woke up the children at six o'clock.
