Formation of passé composé: avoir and être

What is passé composé?

Passé composé (literally "compound past") is the main past tense in modern French, used in spoken language and correspondence to describe completed actions.

Structure: Auxiliary verb (avoir OR être in the present) + past participle

Past participles (participe passé)

Formation rules

-er verbs → -é:

• travailler → travaillé
• parler → parlé
• commencer → commencé
• investir? no, that's -ir!

-ir verbs → -i:

• finir → fini
• choisir → choisi

-re verbs → -u:

• vendre → vendu
• attendre → attendu
• entendre → entendu

Most verbs → with avoir

Conjugation: J'ai parlé / Tu as parlé / Il a parlé / Nous avons parlé / Vous avez parlé / Ils ont parlé

Agreement with avoir: the participle does NOT agree with the subject... BUT it agrees with the direct object if it comes BEFORE the verb.

• La lettre que j'ai écrite. — The letter that I wrote. (écrite because la lettre is feminine)

Business examples:

• J'ai envoyé le rapport. — I sent the report.
• Nous avons signé le contrat. — We signed the contract.
• Ils ont investi dans l'immobilier. — They invested in real estate.
• Vous avez reçu ma proposition? — Did you receive my proposal?

Verbs with être: DR MRS VANDERTRAMP

About 16 movement and state-change verbs form passé composé with être:

Descendre — to go down Rester — to stay Monter — to go up Retourner — to return Sortir — to go out Venir — to come Arriver — to arrive Naître — to be born Devenir — to become Entrer — to enter Rentrer — to come back home Tomber — to fall Repartir — to leave again Aller — to go Mourir — to die Partir — to leave/go away

+ all reflexive verbs (se lever, se réveiller, etc.)

With être, the participle AGREES with the subject!

Examples:

• Je suis allé(e) à Genève pour la réunion. — I went to Geneva for the meeting.
• Elle est arrivée en retard. — She arrived late.
• Nous sommes partis hier matin. — We left yesterday morning.