If you’re diving into French grammar, you might have come across the terms “passe compose with avoir” and “passe compose with etre”. At first glance, both might seem like they’re pretty interchangeable – after all, they both translate to the same thing in English: “past tense”. However, there are some key differences between these two that can trip up even advanced French learners.
The main difference between “passe compose with avoir” and “passe compose with etre” lies in which verbs they can be used with. While “passe compose with avoir” can be used with most French verbs, “passe compose with etre” is reserved for certain “dr” and “mr van der trampp” verbs (like aller, partir, and devenir). This might seem like a small difference, but mastering when to use which one can be a huge stepping stone in becoming fluent in French.
There’s another key difference between these two verb constructions: their agreement with the subject. In “passe compose with avoir”, the past participle agreed with the direct object only when the direct object is before the verb. In contrast, in “passe compose with etre”, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject. This means you’ll need to pay close attention to agreement – and be ready to learn the gender of every noun you use.
Conjugation rules for passe compose with avoir and etre
The passé composé is a compound tense in French that is used to express a completed action in the past. There are two auxiliary verbs used in the passé composé; avoir and être.
The verb avoir (to have) is used as an auxiliary with most verbs in the passé composé. The past participle (le participe passé) of the main verb agrees in gender and number with the direct object when it precedes the verb. Otherwise, it remains unchanged.
- The past participle of -er verbs ends in é.
- The past participle of -ir verbs ends in i.
- The past participle of -re verbs ends in u.
Below is a chart showing the conjugation of avoir in the present tense and the past participle endings for each type of verb.
| Avoir (to have) | Past participle endings |
|---|---|
| j’ai | -é |
| tu as | -é |
| il/elle/on a | -é |
| nous avons | -é |
| vous avez | -é |
| ils/elles ont | -é |
The verb être (to be) is used with a small group of verbs and all reflexive verbs. The past participle of the main verb agrees in gender and number with the subject and must be used accordingly.
Below is a chart showing the conjugation of être and the past participle agreement.
| Être (to be) | Past participle agreement |
|---|---|
| je suis | -é (masculine singular) |
| tu es | -é (masculine singular) |
| il/elle/on est | -é (masculine singular) |
| nous sommes | -és (masculine plural) |
| vous êtes | -és (masculine plural) |
| ils/elles sont | -és (masculine plural) |
It is important to note that some verbs can be used with both avoir and être as auxiliary verbs depending on their usage. It is always important to memorize the verbs that take être as the auxiliary verb used in the passé composé.
Irregular Verbs in Passe Compose with Avoir and Etre
When conjugating verbs in the passé composé, you will usually use the helping verb, avoir. However, there is a group of verbs for which you need to use the helping verb, être. These verbs are known as verbs of motion or movement, or sometimes intransitive verbs.
When you use être as the helping verb, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. This is different from when you use avoir as the helping verb, where the past participle does not need to agree with the subject.
- Here are some examples of être verbs:
- aller (to go)
- arriver (to arrive)
- descendre (to go down)
- devenir (to become)
- entrer (to enter)
- mourir (to die)
- naître (to be born)
- partir (to leave)
- rester (to stay)
- retourner (to return)
- sortir (to go out)
- tomber (to fall)
- venir (to come)
It’s important to note that some verbs can be both être and avoir verbs depending on how they are used in a sentence. For example, the verb passer (to pass/by) can be an avoir verb when used in the following sentence:
J’ai passé une semaine à la plage. (I spent a week at the beach.)
However, when used in the following sentence, it is an être verb:
Je suis passé devant la boulangerie. (I passed in front of the bakery.)
Now, let’s move on to irregular verbs in the passé composé with avoir and être. Most French verbs follow regular conjugation patterns in the passé composé, but there are still quite a few that are irregular. The following table shows some common irregular verbs and their past participles:
| Verb | Past Participle (Masculine) | Past Participle (Feminine) |
|---|---|---|
| avoir (to have) | eu | eue |
| être (to be) | été | été |
| faire (to do/make) | fait | faite |
| aller (to go) | allé | allée |
| prendre (to take) | pris | prise |
| vouloir (to want) | voulu | voulue |
| venir (to come) | venu | venue |
| pouvoir (to be able to) | pu | pu |
| savoir (to know) | su | su |
| voir (to see) | vu | vue |
As you can see, the past participles of these irregular verbs do not follow the regular pattern of adding -ed to the end of the verb. For example, the past participle of avoir is eu, not avoiré.
It’s important to memorize the past participles of these irregular verbs so that you can use them correctly in the passé composé.
Verbs that require etre in passe compose
The French language has many complexities that learners should know to properly use and understand it. One essential aspect of learning French is mastering the use of passe compose, a common past tense used in everyday conversations. Passe compose is formed by combining the auxiliary verb (either avoir or etre) and a past participle. The verb avoir is used to form passe compose for most verbs, but there are a handful of verbs that require the auxiliary verb etre.
- Verbs of motion and change of state – Verbs that describe movement or change of state of the subject require etre as the auxiliary verb. Examples include aller (to go), arriver (to arrive), naître (to be born), tomber (to fall), and mourir (to die).
- Reflexive verbs – Verbs that act on the subject itself, using reflexive pronouns such as se, me, te, and nous, among others, also need etre. Examples include s’amuser (to have fun), se lever (to get up), and se coucher (to go to bed).
- Verbs of state – Verbs that convey the state of the subject, such as être (to be), devenir (to become), and rester (to stay), need etre as the auxiliary verb in passé composé.
It is crucial to remember that verbs that require etre in passe compose agree in gender and number with the subject. In other words, for feminine and plural subjects, the past participle must also agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Subject | Verb | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | Il est | allé |
| Feminine Singular | Elle est | allée |
| Masculine Plural | Ils sont | allés |
| Feminine Plural | Elles sont | allées |
Knowing which verbs require etre and practicing the agreement of the past participle with the subject are essential for mastering the use of passe compose in French.
Verbs that require avoir in passé composé
Unlike the verbs that require être in passé composé, there are many verbs that require avoir as an auxiliary verb in passé composé. The auxiliary verb “avoir” is used with these verbs because they do not refer to a change of state or a movement.
- Verbs of action that do not involve a change of state:
- Aimer (to love)
- Avoir (to have)
- Chanter (to sing)
- Danser (to dance)
- Manger (to eat)
- Jouer (to play)
- Verbs that describe a mental or emotional state:
- Croire (to believe)
- Penser (to think)
- Comprendre (to understand)
- Regretter (to regret)
- Savoir (to know)
- Vouloir (to want)
- Verbs that describe a state of possession or a relationship:
- Aimer (to like)
- Connaître (to know)
- Perdre (to lose)
- Trouver (to find)
- Rencontrer (to meet)
- Retrouver (to meet again)
- Verbs that describe a transitive action:
- Recevoir (to receive)
- Visiter (to visit)
- Acheter (to buy)
- Lire (to read)
- Écrire (to write)
- Vendre (to sell)
It is worth noting that some of these verbs can also require être as an auxiliary verb in certain contexts, depending on the meaning of the sentence.
| Verbs | Examples in passé composé with avoir |
|---|---|
| Aimer (to love) | J’ai aimé ce livre. (I loved this book.) |
| Recevoir (to receive) | Elle a reçu une lettre. (She received a letter.) |
| Connaître (to know) | J’ai connu cette ville il y a dix ans. (I knew this city ten years ago.) |
Using the appropriate auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in passé composé is essential to correctly construct a sentence and convey the intended meaning.
Agreement of Past Participle in Passe Compose with Etre
Using être as an auxiliary verb in the passé composé requires an agreement between the subject of the sentence and the past participle of the main verb. This means that the past participle needs to agree in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. When using avoir as the auxiliary verb, there is no agreement required, unless there is a direct object preceding the verb.
- If the subject of the sentence is feminine, you must add an -e to the past participle.
- If the subject of the sentence is plural, you must add an -s to the past participle.
- If the subject of the sentence is both feminine and plural, you must add -es to the past participle.
Some common examples of using être as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé are:
- Je suis allé(e) au cinéma hier soir. (I went to the cinema last night.)
- Nous sommes sorti(e)s avec des amis samedi dernier. (We went out with friends last Saturday.)
- Elles sont parties en vacances ensemble. (They went on vacation together.)
It is important to note that while most verbs use avoir as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé, there are a few verbs that require être. These verbs include:
| Verbs That Use Être as the Auxiliary Verb in the Passé Composé |
|---|
| aller (to go) |
| arriver (to arrive) |
| descendre (to descend) |
| entrer (to enter) |
| monter (to go up/to climb) |
| partir (to leave) |
| rester (to stay/to remain) |
| retourner (to return/go back) |
| sortir (to go out) |
| venir (to come) |
Overall, understanding the agreement of past participle in passé composé with être is crucial to accurately communicate past events in French. By remembering the rules for feminine and plural subjects and using the correct auxiliary verb, you can effectively convey your past experiences.
Agreement of Past Participle in Passe Compose with Avoir
The Passe Compose, a compound tense used to express past actions, is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “etre” (to be) in the present tense followed by the past participle of the main verb. When using “avoir” as the auxiliary verb, the past participle does not agree in gender or number with the subject of the sentence unless the direct object precedes the verb and is feminine and singular. In this case, the past participle agrees with the direct object in gender and number.
- If the direct object is masculine and singular, the past participle does not agree with it: Ex. J’ai mangé la pomme. (I ate the apple.)
- If the direct object is feminine and singular, the past participle agrees with it: Ex. J’ai mangé la pomme verte. (I ate the green apple.)
- If the direct object is masculine and plural, the past participle does not agree with it: Ex. J’ai mangé les pommes. (I ate the apples.)
- If the direct object is feminine and plural, the past participle does not agree with it: Ex. J’ai mangé les pommes vertes. (I ate the green apples.)
It is important to note that when there are multiple direct objects (le/la/les), the agreement rule applies to the first one only.
Here is an example of the agreement of past participle with avoir:
| Subject | Direct Object | Past Participle | Agreement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | La pomme (feminine, singular) | Mangée | Yes (feminine, singular) |
| Tu | Les pommes (feminine, plural) | Mangées | No |
| Il/Elle | Le livre (masculine, singular) | Lu | No |
| Nous | Les oranges (feminine, plural) | Mangées | No |
| Vous | Les bonbons (masculine, plural) | Mangés | No |
| Ils/Elles | Les frites (feminine, plural) | Mangées | No |
Overall, the agreement of past participle in Passe Compose with avoir is relatively simple. As long as the direct object is feminine and singular, the past participle will agree with it in gender and number. Otherwise, the past participle remains in its original form.
Common Mistakes in Using Passé Composé with Avoir and Être
Passé composé is a common French tense that can be formed in two different ways – with avoir or être as the auxiliary verb. While both forms are taught early on in French language courses, many students make mistakes when it comes to using them correctly. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:
- Using avoir instead of être with certain verbs – Some verbs are required to use être as the auxiliary verb in passé composé, but students often use avoir instead. Some examples of these verbs include aller (to go), venir (to come), and arriver (to arrive).
- Forgetting to make agreement with être – When using être as the auxiliary verb, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number. For example, if the subject is feminine plural, the past participle must also be feminine plural. This is a common mistake for students who forget to make this agreement.
- Using avoir as the auxiliary verb for reflexive verbs – Reflexive verbs require être as the auxiliary verb in passé composé. However, students often use avoir instead, resulting in incorrect sentences. For example, “Je me suis levé” (I got up) uses être as the auxiliary verb because the verb levé is reflexive.
In addition to these common mistakes, there are also some irregular past participles that can trip up students. Here is a table of some of the most commonly-used irregular past participles:
| Verb | Past Participle |
|---|---|
| avoir (to have) | eu |
| être (to be) | été |
| faire (to do/make) | fait |
| prendre (to take) | pris |
| voir (to see) | vu |
By understanding these common mistakes and practicing using passé composé correctly with both avoir and être, students can become more confident and proficient in their French language skills.
What is the Difference Between Passe Compose with Avoir and Etre?
FAQs:
1. What is the passe compose?
The passé composé is a compound tense used to express completed actions that occurred in the past. It is composed of the conjugated auxiliary verb (either avoir or être) in the present tense and the past participle of the main verb.
2. When do you use avoir in the passe compose?
Avoir is used as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé for most verbs. This includes most regular verbs and many irregular verbs that do not indicate a change in location, movement, or development.
3. When do you use être in the passe compose?
Être is used as the auxiliary verb in the passé composé for verbs of motion, reflexive verbs, and some other intransitive verbs that indicate a change in state or condition.
4. How do you know which auxiliary verb to use?
To determine which auxiliary verb to use in the passe compose, you need to identify the verb you want to conjugate, and then consider whether it is a verb of motion, reflexive verb, or a verb that indicates a change in state. If it is one of these, you will use être as the auxiliary verb. If it is not, you will use avoir.
5. Can you change the meaning of a verb by using a different auxiliary verb?
Yes, using a different auxiliary verb can change the meaning of a verb. For example, the verb “sortir” means “to go out” when paired with avoir as the auxiliary verb, but it means “to leave” when paired with être.
Thanks for reading!
We hope this article has helped clear up any confusion about the difference between passé composé with avoir and être. Remember, it is essential to choose the correct auxiliary verb to accurately convey the intended meaning of the sentence. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to come back and visit us again!