The choice between the auxiliaries "avoir" or "être" in the compound tenses is one of the most frequent doubts among students of French. Knowing which one to use is essential to construct sentences correctly and to improve written and spoken French. Although there are general rules, there are also exceptions that require special attention.
How do you know which auxiliary to use?
In French, compound tenses, such as the passé composé, are formed with an auxiliary (avoir or être) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The choice of auxiliary depends on the verb conjugated.
Use of the auxiliary "Avoir
Most French verbs use the auxiliary "avoir" in the compound tenses. This applies to transitive verbs, i.e. verbs that can have a direct object.
Examples:
- J'ai mangé une pomme. (I have eaten an apple.)
- Tu as travaillé toute la journée. (You've been working all day.)
- Ils ont parlé avec le professeur. (They have spoken to the teacher.)
This use of "avoir" is fairly uniform and straightforward, as the sentence structure does not change depending on the gender or number of the subject.
Use of the auxiliary "Être
A smaller group of verbs uses "être" in the compound tenses. There are mainly three categories:
1. Verbs of displacement
The following verbs are conjugated with "être":
- Aller (go)
- Go to (to come)
- Arriver (to arrive)
- Split (from)
- Monter (top)
- Download (scroll down)
- Tomber (fall)
- Passer (pass)
- Retourner (back)
- Entrer (enter)
- Sortir (to leave)
- Rester (stay)
Examples:
- Je suis allé au cinéma. (I went to the cinema.)
- Nous sommes arrivés tôt. (We are early.)
- Elle est tombée dans la rue. (She fell in the street.)
2. Verbs of change of state
These verbs indicate transformation, birth or death. They are:
- Naître (born)
- Mourir (die)
Examples:
- Il est né en France. (He was born in France.)
- Ma grand-mère died last year. (My grandmother died last year.)
3. Pronominal verbs
All pronominal verbs use "être as an auxiliary. These verbs are recognisable because they have a reflexive pronoun (at) in front of the infinitive form of the verb.
Examples:
- Elle s'est levée tôt. (She got up early.)
- Nous nous sommes réveillés tard. (We woke up late.)
- Ils se sont lavés avant de partir. (They washed themselves before leaving.)
Past participle agreement
The use of the auxiliary in the compound tenses also affects the agreement of the past participle.
1. Concordance with "Être".
When a verb is conjugated with "être", the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
Examples:
- Elle est allée à Paris. (She went to Paris.)
- Nous sommes partis tôt. (We left early.)
- Elles sont rentrées tard hier soir. (They returned late last night.)
2. Concordance with "Avoir".
When a verb is conjugated with "avoir", the past participle generally remains unchanged, regardless of the gender or number of the subject.
Examples:
- J'ai mangé une pomme. (I ate an apple.)
- Elles ont dormi jusqu'à tard. (They slept late.)
- Il a fini son travail. (He finished his work.)
3. Exception: Concordance with anteposed direct object.
The only situation in which the past participle of a verb conjugated with "avoir" agrees is when the direct object is placed before the verb.
Examples:
- Elle a acheté une jupe. (She bought a skirt.)
- La jupe que Marie a achetée est rouge. (The skirt Marie bought is red).
- Et les chemises, tu les as les achetées finalement ? (And the shirts - did you finally buy them?)
Practical exercise : Avoir or Être.
Complete the following sentences in passé composé:
- Je ... (aller) au cinéma hier soir.
- Ils ... (finir) leurs devoirs.
- Nous ... (rentrer) après la randonnée.
- Elle ... (perdre) ses clés.
- Tu ... (voir) Marie au marché.
- Ils ... (naître) en France.
- Nous ... (partir) en vacances la semaine dernière.
- Elle ... (danser) pendant toute la nuit.
Answers
- Je suis allé au cinéma hier soir.
- Ils ont fini leurs devoirs.
- Nous sommes rentrés après la randonnée.
- Elle a perdu ses clés.
- Tu as vu Marie au marché.
- Ils sont nés en France.
- Nous sommes partis en vacances la semaine dernière.
- Elle a dansé pendant toute la nuit.
By following these guidelines, you will improve your mastery of the passé composé Keep practising and you'll make great progress in learning French!
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