French Grammar Explained /

Past tense - The auxiliary "être" or "avoir"?

Are you ready to use the past tense called "le passé composé"?
Oui ! I mean, I think so... As long as I remember the correct auxiliary to use.
Let's look at this together one last time.
  • The auxiliary "avoir" is used with pretty much every verb:
J'ai mangé de la soupe hier.
I ate soup yesterday.
Tu as fini tes devoirs de français.
You finished your French homework.
Nous avons pris notre ordinateur en vacances.
We took our computer with us on vacation.
  • The auxiliary "être" is only used with 2 types of verbs:
  1. A handful (15) of verbs: arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, passer, rester, retourner, monter, descendre, naître, devenir, mourir, aller, venir, tomber.
    Je suis arrivé·e lundi dernier.
    I arrived last Monday.
    Tu es allé·e au supermarché.
    You went to the supermarket.
  2. All the reflexive verbs: se lever, se maquiller, se raser, s'endormir, s'appeler, se brosser les dents, se laver...
    Je me suis levé·e tard.
    I woke up late.
    Nous nous sommes endormi·es à 21h.
    We fell asleep at 9pm.