How to conjugate verbs in the passé composé using être.
Verbs using Être in the
Passé Composé
ACRONYM OF THE VERBS:
DEVENIR - to become
REVENIR - to return/ to come back
MONTER - to go up
RENTRER - to re-enter
SORTIR - to go out
VENIR - to come
ARRIVER - to arrive
NAÎTRE - to be born
DESCENDRE - to go down
ENTRER - to enter
RETOURNER - to return
TOMBER - to fall
RESTER - to stay
ALLER - to go
MOURIR - to die
PARTIR - to leave
DEVENIR - to become
REVENIR - to return/ to come back
MONTER - to go up
RENTRER - to re-enter
SORTIR - to go out
VENIR - to come
ARRIVER - to arrive
NAÎTRE - to be born
DESCENDRE - to go down
ENTRER - to enter
RETOURNER - to return
TOMBER - to fall
RESTER - to stay
ALLER - to go
MOURIR - to die
PARTIR - to leave
The uses:
The passé composé is one of the most common past tenses used in French. It is used to relation actions or events completed in the past. Often, in English, the passé composé would be translated as:
Formation:
The passé composé with être is made up of two parts – (1)the present tense of être and (2) the past participle of the verb you are using.
So, the first part(the être) would be conjugated in the present tense, and look like this:
Je suis
Tu es
Il/Elle est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/Elles sont
The second part (the past participle) would look like the verbs in the column on the left, but with their past tense verb ending.
The verbs from the acronym “Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp” are the verbs most commonly conjugated with être. These verbs are primarily verbs of motion – verbs of coming and going. The verbs indicated in the column on the left are written in the infinitive form. Below are the Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp verbs written in their past participle form:
Devenu
Revenu
Monté
Rentré
Sorti
Venu
Arrivé
Né
Descendu
Entré
Retourné
Tombé
Resté
Allé
Mort
Parti
The passé composé is one of the most common past tenses used in French. It is used to relation actions or events completed in the past. Often, in English, the passé composé would be translated as:
- Antoine went home.
- Antoine has gone home.
- Antoine did go home.
Formation:
The passé composé with être is made up of two parts – (1)the present tense of être and (2) the past participle of the verb you are using.
So, the first part(the être) would be conjugated in the present tense, and look like this:
Je suis
Tu es
Il/Elle est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/Elles sont
The second part (the past participle) would look like the verbs in the column on the left, but with their past tense verb ending.
The verbs from the acronym “Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp” are the verbs most commonly conjugated with être. These verbs are primarily verbs of motion – verbs of coming and going. The verbs indicated in the column on the left are written in the infinitive form. Below are the Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp verbs written in their past participle form:
Devenu
Revenu
Monté
Rentré
Sorti
Venu
Arrivé
Né
Descendu
Entré
Retourné
Tombé
Resté
Allé
Mort
Parti
Other rules to remember when forming the Passé Composé with Être:
Negation:
The negation is formed by placing the ne and pas around the conjugated verb – the être verb.
For example:
Je suis allé. à Je ne suis pas allé.
Making agreements!
The past participle of the verb, when conjugated with être must agree with both the gender and the number of the subject. This means that an additional “e” is added to the past participle to agree with a feminine subject, and that an additional “s” is added to the past participle to agree with a plural subject.
For example:
Jacques est mort hier. à No agreement necessary.
Julie est allée au cirque. à In this sentence, an additional “e” is added because Julie (the subject of the sentence) is a girl.
Nous sommes revenus très tard. à In this sentence, an additional “s” is added to revenu because it agrees with the subject “nous”.
Elles sont parties pour magasiner. à In this sentence, an additional “es” is added because the verb has to agree with both the “gender” and the “number” of the elles.
The negation is formed by placing the ne and pas around the conjugated verb – the être verb.
For example:
Je suis allé. à Je ne suis pas allé.
Making agreements!
The past participle of the verb, when conjugated with être must agree with both the gender and the number of the subject. This means that an additional “e” is added to the past participle to agree with a feminine subject, and that an additional “s” is added to the past participle to agree with a plural subject.
For example:
Jacques est mort hier. à No agreement necessary.
Julie est allée au cirque. à In this sentence, an additional “e” is added because Julie (the subject of the sentence) is a girl.
Nous sommes revenus très tard. à In this sentence, an additional “s” is added to revenu because it agrees with the subject “nous”.
Elles sont parties pour magasiner. à In this sentence, an additional “es” is added because the verb has to agree with both the “gender” and the “number” of the elles.