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What is the Passé Composé?
The French passé composé is a compound past tense used to express completed actions in the past. It's equivalent to both the English simple past ("I ate") and present perfect ("I have eaten").
The passé composé is formed with an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in the present tense + a past participle. This is one of the most important tenses in French for everyday conversation.
Examples
J'ai mangé une pomme.
I ate an apple. / I have eaten an apple.
Elle est arrivée hier.
She arrived yesterday. / She has arrived yesterday.
Nous avons fini nos devoirs.
We finished our homework. / We have finished our homework.
Formation with AVOIR
Most French verbs form the passé composé with avoir as the auxiliary verb. This includes all transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) and most intransitive verbs.
Avoir + Past Participle
Formula: Subject + avoir (present) + past participle
The past participle formation depends on the verb group:
-ER verbs: -é (parlé, mangé, étudié)
-IR verbs: -i (fini, choisi, réussi)
-RE verbs: -u (vendu, attendu, répondu)
Manger (to eat) - Passé Composé with Avoir
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai mangé | I ate/have eaten |
| tu | as mangé | you ate/have eaten |
| il/elle/on | a mangé | he/she/one ate/has eaten |
| nous | avons mangé | we ate/have eaten |
| vous | avez mangé | you ate/have eaten |
| ils/elles | ont mangé | they ate/have eaten |
J'ai parlé avec le professeur.
I spoke with the teacher.
Tu as fini tes devoirs?
Did you finish your homework?
Ils ont vendu leur maison.
They sold their house.
Irregular Past Participles
Many common verbs have irregular past participles that must be memorized:
Common Irregular Past Participles
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| avoir (to have) | eu | had |
| être (to be) | été | been |
| faire (to do/make) | fait | done/made |
| voir (to see) | vu | seen |
| prendre (to take) | pris | taken |
| mettre (to put) | mis | put |
J'ai eu de la chance.
I was lucky. (literally: I had luck)
Elle a fait ses devoirs.
She did her homework.
Nous avons vu un film.
We saw a movie.
Formation with ÊTRE
Some French verbs use être as the auxiliary verb instead of avoir. These include verbs of movement, change of state, and all reflexive verbs.
Verbs that use ÊTRE
Movement verbs: aller, venir, partir, arriver, entrer, sortir, monter, descendre, passer, retourner, tomber, rester, naître, mourir
Memory tip: Use the acronym DR MRS VANDERTRAMP or think of them as verbs describing movement or change of state.
Aller (to go) - Passé Composé with Être
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | suis allé(e) | I went/have gone |
| tu | es allé(e) | you went/have gone |
| il/elle/on | est allé/allée | he/she/one went/has gone |
| nous | sommes allé(e)s | we went/have gone |
| vous | êtes allé(e)(s) | you went/have gone |
| ils/elles | sont allés/allées | they went/have gone |
Je suis allé au cinéma.
I went to the movies. (masculine speaker)
Elle est arrivée en retard.
She arrived late.
Nous sommes partis tôt.
We left early.
Agreement with ÊTRE
When using être, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:
Masculine singular: no change (allé)
Feminine singular: add -e (allée)
Masculine plural: add -s (allés)
Feminine plural: add -es (allées)
Past Participle Agreement with ÊTRE
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Il est allé | masculine singular | He went |
| Elle est allée | feminine singular | She went |
| Ils sont allés | masculine plural | They went (masc.) |
| Elles sont allées | feminine plural | They went (fem.) |
Marie est née en France.
Marie was born in France.
Les filles sont sorties ensemble.
The girls went out together.
Mon frère est resté à la maison.
My brother stayed home.
Reflexive Verbs in Passé Composé
All reflexive verbs use être in the passé composé. The reflexive pronoun comes before the auxiliary verb, and the past participle usually agrees with the subject.
Reflexive Verb Formation
Formula: Subject + reflexive pronoun + être + past participle
The reflexive pronouns are: me, te, se, nous, vous, se
Se laver (to wash oneself) - Reflexive Passé Composé
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | me suis lavé(e) | I washed myself |
| tu | t'es lavé(e) | you washed yourself |
| il/elle/on | s'est lavé/lavée | he/she washed himself/herself |
| nous | nous sommes lavé(e)s | we washed ourselves |
| vous | vous êtes lavé(e)(s) | you washed yourself/yourselves |
| ils/elles | se sont lavés/lavées | they washed themselves |
Je me suis levé à huit heures.
I got up at eight o'clock.
Elle s'est couchée tard.
She went to bed late.
Nous nous sommes amusés.
We had fun.
Negative and Interrogative Forms
In negative and interrogative forms, the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) is modified, while the past participle remains unchanged.
Examples
Je n'ai pas mangé.
I didn't eat. (negative with avoir)
Elle n'est pas venue.
She didn't come. (negative with être)
As-tu fini tes devoirs?
Did you finish your homework? (question with avoir)
Est-elle arrivée?
Did she arrive? (question with être)
Qu'est-ce que tu as fait?
What did you do? (question with qu'est-ce que)
When to Use Passé Composé
Use the passé composé for:
1. Completed actions: Actions that are finished
2. Specific events: Actions that happened at a specific time
3. Series of events: Sequential actions in the past
4. Actions with results: Past actions affecting the present
The passé composé contrasts with the imparfait, which describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Examples
J'ai étudié hier soir.
I studied last night. (completed action)
Il est né le 15 mai.
He was born on May 15th. (specific event)
Elle a ouvert la porte et elle est entrée.
She opened the door and entered. (series of events)
J'ai perdu mes clés.
I lost my keys. (result affects present)