Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Past participle
• Method 2 of 4: Passé composé with avoir
• Method 3 of 4: Passé composé with the verb être
• Method 4 of 4: How to use passé composé in sentences

The tense passé composé is formed from the auxiliary verb and the past participle of the main verb. To write a verb in the passé composé, you first need to pick up and conjugate the present auxiliary verb (être or avoir). Then you should use the main verb in the past tense. The composé passé time is used to describe the past completed action.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Past participle

1. 1 Replace -er on the é. If a regular verb ends in -erto form a past participle, just remove the ending -er and put instead é... For example, the past form of the verb parler (talking) is parlé.
2. 2 If the verb ends in -ir, remove r. If a regular verb ends -ir, you should not remove it completely. In this case, it is enough to remove one letter rso that the verb has an ending i... For example, the verb choisir (choose) has a past participle choisi.
3. 3 Replace the ending -re on the u. If a regular verb ends in -re, just remove that ending and replace it with u... For example, the verb vendre (sell) has a past participle vendu.
4. 4 Memorize irregular verbs. Like many other languages, French has a number of irregular verbs.These verbs can have endings similar to the endings of regular verbs, but they are conjugated differently. The past participles of these verbs also do not obey the rules used for regular verbs, so you have to learn them.
   • In some cases, certain rules can be followed. For example, for most irregular verbs with the ending -oir past participles end with u... So, the verb "voir" (to see) has the past form "vu", and the verb "vouloir" (to want, to desire) - "voulu".
   • Most irregular verbs with endings -re in the past tense ends with -is... For example, the verb "comprendre" (to understand) has the past participle "compris", and the verb "apprendre" (to learn) has "appris".

Method 2 of 4: Passé composé with avoir

1. 1 In most cases, an auxiliary verb is used to form passé composé avoir. In French, an auxiliary verb must be used to form the tense passé composé. Present tense auxiliary avoir (to have) means that some action has already taken place.
2. 2 Conjugate a verb avoir in present time. Irregular verb avoir often used in French. If you haven’t done so yet, just learn how this verb conjugates, as it is often used, including to form the tense passé composé.
   • J'ai: I have.
   • Tu as: you have.
   • Il / elle a: he / she has.
   • Nous avons: we have.
   • Vous avez: you have.
   • Ils / elles ont: they have.
3. 3 Connect a verb avoir with the correct form of the past participle. Passé composé is a difficult past tense. Auxiliary avoir shows when the action was performed (in the past). The main verb in the past form indicates what action was performed.
   • For example: "J'ai entendu les nouvelles" (I heard the news).

Method 3 of 4: Passé composé with the verb être

1. 1 An auxiliary verb is used to form passé composé with reflexive verbs être (to be). If you are talking about any action that someone did to themselves, the verb être should be used when forming the passé composé. For example, "Jean s’est brossé les dents", that is, "Jean brushed his teeth."
   • Reflexive verbs are easy to recognize as they are preceded by a pronoun in an indefinite form. se... For example, "se réveiller" is a reflexive verb that means "to wake up".
2. 2 Add the appropriate reflexive pronoun. The reflexive pronoun must match the subject. Memorize the correct reflexive pronouns for all personal pronouns.
   • Reflexive pronoun for je is an me: "Je me lave" (I wash my face).
   • Reflexive pronoun for tu is an te: "Tu te laves" (you wash your face).
   • Reflexive pronoun for il / elle is an se: "Il / elle se lave" (he / she is washing).
   • Reflexive pronoun for nous is an nous: "Nous nous lavons" (we wash ourselves).
   • Reflexive pronoun for vous is an vous: "Vous vous lavez" (you all wash).
   • Reflexive pronoun for ils / elles is an se: "Ils se lavent" (they wash).
3. 3 Conjugate a verb être in present time. Use that verb form être, which corresponds to the person and number of the subject. This is an irregular verb, so remember how it conjugates.
   • Je suis: I am.
   • Tu es: you are.
   • Il / elle est: he / she is.
   • Nous sommes: we are.
   • Vous êtes: you are.
   • Ils / elles sont: they are.
4. 4 Complete the verb être the correct form of the past participle. Verb être in a suitable conjugation stands before the past participle of the main verb. Voilà! You got the passé composé time.
   • For example: "Je me suis réveillé trop tard" (I woke up too late).
5. 5 Make the past participle match the subject. As a rule, when forming passé composé with an auxiliary verb être The past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number. Add an ending to the participle eif the subject is feminine and the ending s for plural subject.
   • For example: "Elle s’est amusée" (she was having fun).
   • There are some exceptions. The past participle does not need to be coordinated with the subject when it comes to a part of the body. For example: "Elle s'est lavée" (she washed her face), but "Elle s'est lavé les cheveux" (she washed her hair).
6. 6 Try to memorize the verbs with which to use the auxiliary verb être, using a mnemonic rule. In addition to reflexives, there are some other verbs in French with which an auxiliary verb is used être in the passé composé. These verbs can be memorized using the following mnemonic rule "DR (and) MRS VANDERTRAMP".
   • The letters included in this rule correspond to the initial letters of the following verbs: devenir (become), revenir (come back), monter (get up), retourner (flip) sortir (go out) venir (come), aller (go), naître (to be born) descendre (to go down), entrer (enter), rentrer (return / return home), tomber (fall), rester (stay), arriver (arrive), mourir (die) and partir (leave).

Method 4 of 4: How to use passé composé in sentences

1. 1 Rearrange the auxiliary verb to ask the question. You may already know that in order to ask a question in French, the subject and predicate must be swapped. If you want to use passé composé, only the auxiliary verb must be interchanged. Just swap the auxiliary and the subject. In this case, the past participle will appear immediately after the subject.
   • For example: "As-tu mangé?" (Have you eaten?).
2. 2 Place a personal pronoun between the subject and the auxiliary. In French, the personal pronoun usually comes before the corresponding verb. If you are using a complex tense such as passé composé, the personal pronoun must precede the auxiliary verb.
   • For example: "Je l'ai rencontré à Paris" (I met him in Paris).
   • Follow the same rule when placing reflexive pronouns. For example: "Je me suis amusé" (I had fun).
3. 3 Form a negative form around an auxiliary verb. If you want to use the tense passé composé to say that something has not happened in the past, be careful not to negative the past participle. Just put "ne… pas" around an auxiliary verb - in the example below it's a verb avoir.
   • For example: "Nous n'avons pas fini le travail" (we have not finished the work).
4. 4 Negative verb être and reflexive pronouns must stand side by side. If you want to say a negative phrase with a passé composé and a verb with which an auxiliary verb is used être, should be placed ne ... pas around reflexive pronoun and auxiliary verb être.
   • Particle ne precedes a reflexive pronoun, and pas follows the corresponding form of the verb être... For example: "je ne me suis pas amusé" (I didn't have fun).