How to Use the Passé Composé in French

Understanding Passé Composé

The passé composé is one of the most common past tenses in French. It's used to express completed actions or events in the past, similar to the English past tense.

Structure of Passé Composé

The passé composé is formed using two elements: an auxiliary verb and the past participle of the main verb. The auxiliary verb can be either avoir (to have) or être (to be).

Choosing the Correct Auxiliary Verb

Most verbs use avoir as their auxiliary verb. However, some verbs, typically those related to movement or change of state, use être. A quick mnemonic to remember these is the acronym "Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp."

• Devenir (to become)
• Revenir (to come back)
• Monter (to go up)
• Rentrer (to return)
• Sortir (to go out)
• Venir (to come)
• Aller (to go)
• Naître (to be born)
• Descendre (to go down)
• Entrer (to enter)
• Retourner (to return)
• Tomber (to fall)
• Rester (to stay)
• Arriver (to arrive)
• Mourir (to die)
• Partir (to leave)

Forming the Past Participle

Once you've determined the auxiliary verb, form the past participle of the main verb. Regular -er verbs will have an ending change to -é, -ir verbs to -i, and -re verbs to -u.

Agreement with the Past Participle

When using être as the auxiliary verb, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. This is not always required with avoir, except when the direct object precedes the verb.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

It's a common mistake to forget the agreement in verbs using être or to use the incorrect auxiliary verb. Always double-check which verbs fall under this category to ensure accuracy.