French conjugation explanation
Choosing the correct auxiliary verb
<p>Most French verbs use <span style="font-style: italic;">avoir</span> as an auxiliary verb. The verbs that use <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> are intransitive (=<strong>not taking a direct object</strong>) verbs that usually indicate <strong>motion or change of state</strong>. The verbs that always use <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> are:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div><strong>aller:</strong> to go</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <strong>sommes allés</strong> au travail. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We went to work.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>arriver:</strong> to arrive</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Était-il encore ici quand tu <strong>es arrivé</strong> ? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Was he still here when you arrived?</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>devenir:</strong> to become</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <strong>est devenue</strong> médecin. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She became a doctor.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>mourir:</strong> to die</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Son père <strong>est mort</strong> il y a dix ans. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Her father died ten years ago.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>naître:</strong> to be born</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>est né</strong> dans une petite ville de l'Italie. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He was born in a small town in Italy.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>partir:</strong> to go away, to leave</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <strong>sommes</strong> immédiatement <strong>partis</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We left immediately.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>parvenir:</strong> to reach, to manage to do</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je ne <strong>suis</strong> pas <strong>parvenu</strong> à contenir ma colère. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I couldn't contain my anger.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>rester:</strong> to stay</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Combien de temps <strong>êtes</strong>-vous <strong>restée</strong> ? (<span style="font-style: italic;">How long did you stay?</span>)</div>
<li>
<div><strong>revenir:</strong> to come back</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Vous <strong>êtes revenu</strong> ici en courant. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You ran back here.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>tomber:</strong> to fall</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>est tombé</strong> malade parce qu'il a trop mangé. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He fell ill because he ate too much.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>venir:</strong> to come</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>est venu</strong> pour me sauver. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He came to save me.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The following verbs also use <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> every time: <span style="font-style: italic;">renaître, repartir, retomber</span>.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Variable auxiliary verbs</div>
<p>There are verbs that use either <span style="font-style: italic;">avoir</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> depending on whether they have a direct object or not. Examples (the direct object is colored brown when there is one): </p>
<ul>
<li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + descendre:</strong> to go down, to come down</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je <strong>suis descendu</strong> du train. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I got off the train.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + descendre + direct object:</strong> to go down, to come down</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <strong>a descendu</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">les escaliers</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She went down the stairs.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Le bateau blanc <strong>a descendu</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">le ruisseau</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The white boat went down the stream.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + descendre + direct object:</strong> to take down, to bring down</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">J’<strong>ai descendu</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">la chaise</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I took the chair down.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + entrer:</strong> to go in, to enter</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <strong>sommes entrés</strong> dans le parc. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We entered the park.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + entrer + direct object:</strong> to input, to enter</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>a entré</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">son mot de passe</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He entered his password.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + monter:</strong> to go up, to come up</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>est monté</strong> dans le train. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He got on the train.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + monter + direct object:</strong> to go up, to come up</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles <strong>ont monté</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">les escaliers</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They went up the stairs.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + monter + direct object:</strong> to mount, to get on, to ride</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <strong>a monté</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">un chameau</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She rode a camel.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + passer:</strong> to go, to pass</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Nous <strong>sommes</strong> déjà <strong>passés</strong> par ici. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We've been here before.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + passer + direct object:</strong> to spend (time)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <strong>a passé</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">tout l'après-midi</span> à cuisiner. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She spent all afternoon cooking.</span>)</div>
</li>
</li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + retourner:</strong> to go back, to return</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je n'y <strong>suis</strong> jamais <strong>retourné</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I never went back.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + retourner+ direct object:</strong> to turn over, to turn upside down, to turn inside out</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>a retourné</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">son manteau</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He turned his coat inside out.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>ÊTRE + sortir:</strong> to go out</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je ne <strong>suis</strong> pas <strong>sorti</strong> le week-end dernier. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I didn't go out last weekend.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div><strong>AVOIR + sortir + direct object:</strong> to take out</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Tu <strong>as sorti</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">les poubelles</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You've taken out the trash.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The same rules apply to the following verbs: <span style="font-style: italic;">redescendre, remonter, rentrer, repasser, ressortir</span>.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Direct object vs. indirect object</div>
<p>We can find the direct object of a verb by asking the questions <strong style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">quoi ?</strong> or <strong style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">qui ?</strong>. For example, in the sentence "<span style="font-style: italic;">Tu as sorti les poubelles.</span>", <span class="brown_emphasis" style="font-style: italic;">les poubelles</span> is the direct object of the verb <span style="font-style: italic;">sortir</span> because it answers the question <span style="font-style: italic;">"(Tu as sorti) <strong>quoi</strong> ?"</span>. However, when the object is preceded by a preposition (<span style="font-style: italic;">à, de, pour, dans</span>, etc.), it becomes an <strong>indirect object</strong> because it answers <strong style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">à quoi ?</strong>, <strong style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">de quoi ?</strong>, etc. For example:</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <strong>a descendu</strong> <span class="brown_emphasis">les escaliers</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She went down the stairs.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Elle a descendu <strong>quoi</strong> ? → direct object → AVOIR is the auxiliary verb)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il <strong>est monté</strong> dans le train. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He got on the train.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Il est monté <strong>dans quoi</strong> ? → indirect object → ÊTRE is the auxiliary verb)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Reflexive verbs</div>
<p>Reflexive verbs always use <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> as an auxiliary verb:</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <strong>se sont trouvés</strong> dans une forêt. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They found themselves in a forest.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Le feu <strong>s'est propagé</strong> dans la maison. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The fire spread throughout the house.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je <strong>me suis réveillée</strong> à minuit. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I woke up at midnight.</span>)</div>