lekuSoftThe Passé Composé: French Simple Past Tense
The Passé Composé — Level A2
The passé composé is the most commonly used past tense in spoken and informal written French. It expresses completed actions in the past.
1. Structure
The passé composé is formed with two elements:
auxiliary verb (avoir or être in the present tense) + past participle
2. Forming the Past Participle
| Verb group | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ER verbs | drop -er, add -é | parler → parlé |
| -IR verbs | drop -ir, add -i | finir → fini |
| -RE verbs | drop -re, add -u | vendre → vendu |
3. Using avoir as Auxiliary (Most Verbs)
The vast majority of verbs use avoir:
| Subject | Avoir | Past participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| j’ | ai | parlé | I spoke |
| tu | as | mangé | you ate |
| il/elle | a | fini | he/she finished |
| nous | avons | vendu | we sold |
| vous | avez | choisi | you chose |
| ils/elles | ont | attendu | they waited |
Examples
- J’ai mangé une pizza hier soir. — I ate a pizza last night.
- Elle a fini ses devoirs. — She finished her homework.
- Nous avons regardé un film. — We watched a film.
4. Using être as Auxiliary
A specific group of verbs uses être instead of avoir. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
The DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs (movement & state verbs)
| Infinitive | Past participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Devenir | devenu(e)(s) | to become |
| Revenir | revenu(e)(s) | to come back |
| Monter | monté(e)(s) | to go up |
| Rester | resté(e)(s) | to stay |
| Sortir | sorti(e)(s) | to go out |
| Venir | venu(e)(s) | to come |
| Aller | allé(e)(s) | to go |
| Naître | né(e)(s) | to be born |
| Descendre | descendu(e)(s) | to go down |
| Entrer | entré(e)(s) | to enter |
| Rentrer | rentré(e)(s) | to return home |
| Tomber | tombé(e)(s) | to fall |
| Retourner | retourné(e)(s) | to return |
| Arriver | arrivé(e)(s) | to arrive |
| Mourir | mort(e)(s) | to die |
| Partir | parti(e)(s) | to leave |
All reflexive verbs also use être: se lever, se laver, se coucher, etc.
Agreement rules with être
The past participle agrees with the subject:
| Subject | Example |
|---|---|
| Masculine singular | Il est allé. |
| Feminine singular | Elle est allée. |
| Masculine plural | Ils sont allés. |
| Feminine plural | Elles sont allées. |
Examples
- Marie est arrivée en retard. — Marie arrived late.
- Les enfants sont sortis jouer. — The children went out to play.
- Il s’est levé tôt. — He got up early.
5. Common Irregular Past Participles
| Infinitive | Past participle |
|---|---|
| avoir | eu |
| être | été |
| faire | fait |
| prendre | pris |
| mettre | mis |
| voir | vu |
| savoir | su |
| pouvoir | pu |
| vouloir | voulu |
| venir | venu |
| lire | lu |
| écrire | écrit |
| dire | dit |
| ouvrir | ouvert |
| offrir | offert |
| boire | bu |
6. Negation in the Passé Composé
Place ne … pas around the auxiliary verb:
- *Je **n’*ai pas mangé. — I did not eat.
- *Elle **n’*est pas venue. — She did not come.
7. Practice
Conjugate the verbs in the passé composé:
- (parler / je) — I spoke to my teacher.
- (aller / elle) — She went to Paris.
- (se coucher / ils) — They went to bed late.
- (faire / nous) — We did the shopping.
- (ne pas venir / tu) — You did not come.
Answers:
- J’ai parlé · 2. Elle est allée · 3. Ils se sont couchés · 4. Nous avons fait · 5. Tu n’es pas venu(e)