Passé Composé - Usage
Rule 1: Passé composé is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past. It emphasizes their results or consequences in the present. It corresponds to the English simple past and, sometimes, the present perfect.
French
English
J’ai joué.
I have played / I played.
Il est rentré à la maison.
He went home.
Forming the Passé Composé
Rule 2: This tense is formed by using the present form of an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) together with the past participle of the verb you're conjugating.
Here's an example with the verb venir (to come):
| je | suis venu |
| tu\t | es venu |
| il, elle, on | est venu |
| nous\t | sommes venus |
| vous\t | êtes venu(s) |
| ils, elles | sont venus |
| je | suis venu |
| tu\t | es venu |
| il, elle, on | est venu |
| nous\t | sommes venus |
| vous\t | êtes venu(s) |
| ils, elles | sont venus |
And with the verb manger (to eat):
| j' | ai mangé |
| tu | as mangé |
| il, elle, on | a mangé |
| nous | avons mangé |
| vous | avez mangé |
| ils, elles | ont mangé |
| j' | ai mangé |
| tu | as mangé |
| il, elle, on | a mangé |
| nous | avons mangé |
| vous | avez mangé |
| ils, elles | ont mangé |
Être or Avoir?
Rule 3: Most verbs build passé composé with avoir.
French
English
J'ai chanté.
I sang.
With several verbs describing movement or rest, être is used instead. It's best to memorize them:
| aller | to go |
| arriver | to arrive |
| descendre | to descend / go downstairs |
| entrer | to enter |
| monter | to climb |
| mourir | to die |
| naître | to be born |
| partir | to leave |
| passer | to pass |
| rester | to stay |
| retourner | to return |
| sortir | to go out |
| tomber | to fall |
| venir | to come |
| aller | to go |
| arriver | to arrive |
| descendre | to descend / go downstairs |
| entrer | to enter |
| monter | to climb |
| mourir | to die |
| naître | to be born |
| partir | to leave |
| passer | to pass |
| rester | to stay |
| retourner | to return |
| sortir | to go out |
| tomber | to fall |
| venir | to come |
Être is also used with the derivatives of these verbs, such as remonter (to climb again), repartir (to leave again), or devenir (to become).
Rule 4: Être is also used for reflexive verbs:
French
English
Nous nous sommes reveillés.
We woke up.
Rule 5: A few verbs can also build the passé composé with both auxiliary verbs. In this case, avoir is used if a direct object follows the conjugated verb
French
English
Je suis sorti dehors.
I went out.
J’ai sorti les poubelles.
I took out the trash.
Quiz
1/4
___ chez moi.
0
correct answers.