French conjugation explanation
Verbs with variable auxiliary verb
<p>There are French verbs that use either <span style="font-style: italic;">avoir</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span> as auxiliary verb depending on <strong>whether they have a direct object or not</strong>. 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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>