Introduction
In French, compound tenses are formed using auxiliary verbs combined with the past participle of the main verb. The two primary auxiliary verbs are "avoir" and "être". Understanding their usage is essential for constructing correct sentences in the past tense and other compound tenses.
Auxiliary Verb: Avoir
Function
- "Avoir" is the most common auxiliary verb in French and is primarily used to form compound tenses such as the passé composé, the plus-que-parfait, and others.
Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | ai |
| Tu | as |
| Il/Elle/On | a |
| Nous | avons |
| Vous | avez |
| Ils/Elles | ont |
Example in Passé Composé
- J'ai mangé.
- I ate. / I have eaten.
Auxiliary Verb: Être
Function
- "Être" is used as an auxiliary verb with certain verbs, primarily verbs of motion or change of state, and with all reflexive verbs.
Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | suis |
| Tu | es |
| Il/Elle/On | est |
| Nous | sommes |
| Vous | êtes |
| Ils/Elles | sont |
Example in Passé Composé
- Il est allé.
- He went.
Verbs Using "Être"
The following verbs typically use "être" as the auxiliary in compound tenses:
- Aller (to go)
- Venir (to come)
- Arriver (to arrive)
- Partir (to leave)
- Entrer (to enter)
- Sortir (to go out)
- Monter (to go up)
- Descendre (to go down)
- Naître (to be born)
- Mourir (to die)
- Rester (to stay)
- Tomber (to fall)
- Retourner (to return)
- Revenir (to come back)
- Devenir (to become)
Reflexive Verbs
- Il s'est lavé.
- He washed himself.
Key Differences Between "Avoir" and "Être"
Agreement
- With "être," the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- Elle est allée.
- (She went.)
- Ils sont partis.
- (They left.)
- With "avoir," the past participle usually does not agree with the subject unless there is a preceding direct object.
- Elle a mangé.
- (She ate.)
- Ils ont vu les films.
- (They saw the movies.)
Comparison: "Avoir" vs. "Être"
| Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|
| J'ai fini. | I have finished. |
| Elle a vu le film. | She saw the film. |
| Nous avons parlé. | We spoke. |
| Tu as pris le livre. | You took the book. |
| Il est arrivé. | He arrived. |
| Nous sommes partis. | We left. |
| Elle est née. | She was born. |
| Ils sont tombés. | They fell. |
Common Verbs Using "Avoir"
While "être" is used with a select group of verbs, most other verbs in French use "avoir" as the auxiliary. Here are some common examples:
- Manger (to eat)
- J'ai mangé.
- (I ate.)
- Avoir (to have)
- Tu as eu.
- (You had.)
- Faire (to do/make)
- Il a fait.
- (He did/made.)
- Dire (to say)
- Nous avons dit.
- (We said.)
- Voir (to see)
- Vous avez vu.
- (You saw.)
- Prendre (to take)
- Ils ont pris.
- (They took.)
- Mettre (to put/place)
- Elle a mis.
- (She put.)
Conclusion
The choice between "avoir" and "être" as auxiliary verbs in French is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences. While "avoir" is used with the majority of verbs, "être" is reserved for a specific set of verbs and all reflexive verbs, requiring agreement in gender and number.