Passé composé with avoir – regular verbs
J'ai mangé, tu as fini, il a vendu
The passé composé is the main past tense of spoken French. It describes completed actions: I ate, I have eaten, I did eat are all j'ai mangé.
How to form it
avoir (present tense) + past participle
| avoir | + past participle | |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai | parlé |
| tu | as | fini |
| il / elle / on | a | vendu |
| nous | avons | mangé |
| vous | avez | choisi |
| ils / elles | ont | attendu |
Regular past participles
| infinitive | participle | |
|---|---|---|
| -er | -é | parler → parlé, manger → mangé |
| -ir | -i | finir → fini, choisir → choisi |
| -re | -u | vendre → vendu, attendre → attendu |
- J'ai mangé une pizza.I ate a pizza.
- Tu as fini ton travail ?Have you finished your work?
- Elle a attendu une heure.She waited for an hour.
- Nous avons regardé un film.We watched a film.
- Ils ont vendu leur maison.They sold their house.
One French tense, three English ones
- J'ai visité Rome.I visited Rome. / I have visited Rome. / I did visit Rome.
Most verbs use avoir
Around 15 verbs of movement, plus all reflexive verbs, use être instead: Passé composé with être, Pronominal verbs. Many common verbs have irregular participles: Passé composé.
With avoir, the past participle normally doesn't agree with the subject: elle a mangé, ils ont mangé. (There's an exception for direct objects placed before the verb: Past participle agreement with a preceding direct object.)
Practice
- J'_____ mangé une pizza.
Show the answer
ai
- Tu as _____ ? (finir)
Show the answer
fini
- Elle a _____ le bus. (attendre)
Show the answer
attendu
- Nous avons _____ tout l'après-midi. (travailler)
Show the answer
travaillé
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.