French conjugation explanation

Past participle agreement when the auxiliary verb is AVOIR

<p>When constructing compound tenses (such as the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/81/" target="_blank">Passé Composé</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/avoir/" title="Click to see conjugations for avoir" target="_blank">avoir</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="green_emphasis">a mangé</span> une pomme. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She ate an apple.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Even though the subject <span style="font-style: italic;">elle</span> is feminine, the participle of

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/manger/" title="Click to see conjugations for manger" target="_blank">manger</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils <span class="green_emphasis">ont acheté</span> une voiture. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They bought a car.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Even though the subject <span style="font-style: italic;">ils</span> is plural, the participle of

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/acheter/" title="Click to see conjugations for acheter" target="_blank">acheter</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Exception: Preceding Direct Object</div>

<p>Agreement is required <strong>only</strong> if a <strong>direct object</strong> is placed <strong>before the verb</strong>. In this specific case, the past participle agrees in gender and number with that preceding direct object (not the subject).</p>

<p>This typically happens with relative pronouns like <span style="font-style: italic;">que</span> or object pronouns like <span style="font-style: italic;">le, la, les</span>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Voilà l'<span class="brown_emphasis">erreur</span> que j'ai <span class="green_emphasis">faite</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the mistake I made.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The participle of

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/faire/" title="Click to see conjugations for faire" target="_blank">faire</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je <span class="brown_emphasis">les</span> ai <span class="green_emphasis">vus</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I saw them.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The participle of

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/voir/" title="Click to see conjugations for voir" target="_blank">voir</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Important Caution</div>

<p>Be careful not to make agreements with <strong>indirect objects</strong> (verbs followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">à</span>), even if they come before the verb. The past participle only agrees with direct objects.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Marie <span class="brown_emphasis">lui</span> a <span class="green_emphasis">téléphoné</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Marie called him/her.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(No agreement for

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/t%C3%A9l%C3%A9phoner/" title="Click to see conjugations for téléphoner" target="_blank">téléphoner</a>