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Le passé composé avec être
The passé composé uses être conjugated in the present tense as the auxiliary verb with intransitive and
reflexive verbs. Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not take an object. Reflexive verbs (e.g., “Je
m’appelle”) have an extra pronoun to show that the action of the verb is being reflected back onto the
subject itself.
For now, we will concentrate on the intransitive verbs. For all intents and purposes, consider the French
language as having 17 of these verbs.
The passé composé of intransitive verbs is practically identical in rules with the that of the transitive verbs.
You will need two elements:
a) être conjugated in the present tense
être
je
tu
il
elle
on
nous
vous
ils
elles
b) the past participle
The past participle will be formed according to the same rules as employed
with the avoir verbs.
-er
-ir
-re
irregulars
-é
-i
-u
Memorize them!
*The main difference between using the passé composé with avoir and être is that the past
participles of the verbs that use être AGREE IN GENDER AND IN NUMBER WITH THE
SUBJECT. When you conjugate an avoir verb in the passé comp., the participle remains the
same down the conjugation; the only thing that changes is the form of avoir being used. When
you conjugate with être, though, that past participle, much like an adjective, will now agree in
gender and in number with the subject. Note the difference below:
parler = to speak
j’ai parlé
nous avons parlé
tu as parlé
vous avez parlé
il a parlé
ils ont parlé
elle a parlé
elles ont parlé
aller = to go
je suis allé (e)
nous sommes allés (-ées)
tu es allé (e)
vous êtes allés (-ées)
allé, allée (sing. form.)
il est allé
ils sont allés
elle est allée
elles sont allées
The endings for the past participles of être verbs are THE SAME AS THE ENDINGS FOR YOUR BASIC
CONSONANT-ENDING ADJECTIVE
Hier soir, Max est allé à la boum, mais Lydie est allée au concert.
sing.
pl.
Jérôme et moi, nous sommes allés à Paris.
masc.
-+s
Anne et Sylvie ne sont pas allées à Marseilles.
fem.
+e
+es
Learning the seventeen intransitive verbs is not hard; we have two ways to memorize
them, either with an acronymn or with a picture. Draw & label the house (chez Dr. &
Mrs. Vandertrampp) on the back.
The acronym: Dr. & Mrs. Vandertrampp
infinitive
D
R
M
R
S
V
A
N
D
E
R
T
R
A
M
P
P
past participle