French conjugation explanation

Past participle agreement when the auxiliary verb is ÊTRE

<p>When the auxiliary verb of a compound form is <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span>, the past participle must agree in gender and number with its subject (apart from a few exceptions, see at the bottom). When the subject is feminine, you have to add an <span style="font-style: italic;">e</span> to the past participle. When the subject is plural, you have to add an <span style="font-style: italic;">s</span>. Examples:

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils sont venu<strong>s</strong> la semaine passée. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They came last week.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject is masculine and plural.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle s'est rendu<strong>e</strong> hier à l'hôpital. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She went to the hospital yesterday.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject is feminine and singular.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles se sont couché<strong>es</strong> tard. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They went to bed late.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The subject is feminine and plural.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Vous</div>

<p>When the subject is <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span>, the agreement depends on the gender and number of the subject that <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> refers to:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Vous vous êtes trompé/ trompé<strong>s</strong>/ trompé<strong>e</strong>/ trompé<strong>es</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You were wrong.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The gender and number of the past participle depends on who we are talking to.)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Exceptions (advanced)</div>

<p>If the verb form is reflexive, the agreement is <strong>not required</strong> when the reflexive pronoun is an <strong>indirect object</strong> instead of a direct object. Examples:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle s'est rasé les aisselles. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She shaved her armpits.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(If a noun comes after the past participle - without a preprosition -, it takes on the role of the direct object and the reflexive pronoun becomes the indirect object &#8594; <strong>no agreement</strong>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle se les est rasé<strong>es</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She shaved her armpits.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The reflexive pronoun is still the indirect object and the direct object is the same as well (les &#8594; les aisselles), but now it precedes the past participle &#8594; <strong>agreement</strong> with "les aisselles")</div>