French conjugation explanation
Past participle agreement when the auxiliary verb is ÊTRE
<p>When the auxiliary verb of a compound tense is
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%AAtre/" title="Click to see conjugations for être" target="_blank">être</a>
, the past participle generally must agree in <strong>gender</strong> and <strong>number</strong> with the <strong>subject</strong>. This rule applies to verbs of motion or state of being (like<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/venir/" title="Click to see conjugations for venir" target="_blank">venir</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/aller/" title="Click to see conjugations for aller" target="_blank">aller</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/partir/" title="Click to see conjugations for partir" target="_blank">partir</a>
) and most reflexive verbs.</p><p>The endings are added to the past participle as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Feminine subject: add <span class="green_emphasis"><strong>-e</strong></span></li>
<li>Plural subject: add <span class="green_emphasis"><strong>-s</strong></span></li>
<li>Feminine plural subject: add <span class="green_emphasis"><strong>-es</strong></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Examples</h3>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ils sont venu<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>s</strong></span> la semaine passée. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They came last week.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Subject <span style="font-style: italic;">ils</span> is masculine and plural → add <strong>s</strong>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle s'est rendu<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>e</strong></span> à l'hôpital hier. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She went to the hospital yesterday.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Subject <span style="font-style: italic;">elle</span> is feminine and singular → add <strong>e</strong>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles sont rentré<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>es</strong></span> tard. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They came home late.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Subject <span style="font-style: italic;">elles</span> is feminine and plural → add <strong>es</strong>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The case of "Vous"</div>
<p>Since the pronoun <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> can be used for a singular person (formal) or a group (plural), the agreement changes based on who you are talking to:</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">M. Tremblay, vous êtes arrivé. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Masculine singular</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Mme Dion, vous êtes arrivé<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>e</strong></span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Feminine singular</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Messieurs, vous êtes arrivé<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>s</strong></span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Masculine plural</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Mesdames, vous êtes arrivé<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>es</strong></span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Feminine plural</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Reflexive Verbs: The Tricky Exception</div>
<p>While all reflexive verbs use
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%AAtre/" title="Click to see conjugations for être" target="_blank">être</a>
, they follow a slightly more complex rule. The past participle technically agrees with the <strong>direct object</strong>, provided it is placed <strong>before</strong> the verb (similar to<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/french_preceding_direct_object_agreement/" target="_blank">avoir agreement rules</a>
).</p><p>In most cases, the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.) serves as the direct object, so the verb seems to agree with the subject:</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle <span class="brown_emphasis">s</span>'est lavé<span class="green_emphasis"><strong>e</strong></span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She washed [herself].</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Who did she wash? Herself (<span style="font-style: italic;">se</span>). The direct object (<span style="font-style: italic;">se</span>) is feminine and precedes the verb → <strong>Agree</strong>.</div>
<p>However, if a distinct direct object (like a body part) appears <strong>after</strong> the verb, the reflexive pronoun becomes an <span style="font-style: italic;">indirect object</span>, and agreement is <strong>blocked</strong>:</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle s'est <span class="green_emphasis">lavé</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">les mains</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She washed her hands.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">What did she wash? Her hands (<span class="brown_emphasis">les mains</span>). The direct object comes after the verb → <strong>No agreement</strong>.</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elles se sont <span class="green_emphasis">parlé</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">They spoke to each other.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Here, <span style="font-style: italic;">se</span> means "to each other" (indirect object). Since there is no direct object, there is <strong>no agreement</strong>.</div>