Welcome to Level 2! It's time to stop living in the present. Let's talk about what you did.
It sounds like "I have eaten", but it simply means "I ate".
You already know this verb. It's the engine of the past tense.
How do we turn "Manger" into "Mangé"? Common rules:
Example: Parler (To speak) → Parlé (Spoken)
| Je | J'ai parlé avec Paul. | I spoke with Paul. | |
| Tu | Tu as parlé trop fort. | You spoke too loudly. | |
| Il | Il a parlé au professeur. | He spoke to the teacher. | |
| Nous | Nous avons parlé français. | We spoke French. | |
| Vous | Vous avez parlé anglais. | You spoke English. | |
| Ils | Ils ont parlé ensemble. | They spoke together. |
Example: Finir (To finish) → Fini (Finished)
| Je | J'ai fini mon travail. | I finished my work. | |
| Tu | Tu as fini ton verre. | You finished your drink. | |
| Elle | Elle a fini le livre. | She finished the book. | |
| Nous | Nous avons fini à midi. | We finished at noon. | |
| Vous | Vous avez fini le projet ? | Did you finish the project? | |
| Elles | Elles ont fini de manger. | They finished eating. |
Example: Vendre (To sell) → Vendu (Sold)
| Je | J'ai vendu ma voiture. | I sold my car. | |
| Tu | Tu as vendu la maison ? | Did you sell the house? | |
| Il | Il a vendu son vélo. | He sold his bike. | |
| Nous | Nous avons vendu des billets. | We sold tickets. | |
| Vous | Vous avez vendu tout ? | Did you sell everything? | |
| Ils | Ils ont vendu leurs livres. | They sold their books. |
Some verbs just don't follow rules. You must memorize these.
| Je | J'ai eu de la chance. | I had luck. | |
| Tu | Tu as eu un cadeau. | You had a gift. | |
| Il | Il a eu peur. | He had fear (was scared). | |
| Nous | Nous avons eu le temps. | We had the time. | |
| Vous | Vous avez eu un accident. | You had an accident. | |
| Ils | Ils ont eu faim. | They had hunger (were hungry). |
| Je | J'ai été malade. | I have been (was) sick. | |
| Tu | Tu as été gentil. | You were nice. | |
| Elle | Elle a été surprise. | She was surprised. | |
| Nous | Nous avons été lents. | We were slow. | |
| Vous | Vous avez été courageux. | You were brave. | |
| Elles | Elles ont été heureuses. | They were happy. |
| Je | J'ai fait un gâteau. | I made a cake. | |
| Tu | Tu as fait tes devoirs. | You did your homework. | |
| Il | Il a fait du sport. | He played sports. | |
| Nous | Nous avons fait une erreur. | We made a mistake. | |
| Vous | Vous avez fait la cuisine. | You did the cooking. | |
| Ils | Ils ont fait la fête. | They had a party. |
| Je | J'ai vu un film. | I saw a movie. | |
| Tu | Tu as vu ton ami. | You saw your friend. | |
| Elle | Elle a vu la tour Eiffel. | She saw the Eiffel Tower. | |
| Nous | Nous avons vu le match. | We saw the match. | |
| Vous | Vous avez vu ça ? | Did you see that? | |
| Elles | Elles ont vu le chien. | They saw the dog. |
| Je | J'ai appris le français. | I learned French. | |
| Tu | Tu as appris la leçon. | You learned the lesson. | |
| Il | Il a appris à nager. | He learned to swim. | |
| Nous | Nous avons appris beaucoup. | We learned a lot. | |
| Vous | Vous avez appris vite. | You learned quickly. | |
| Ils | Ils ont appris la vérité. | They learned the truth. |
| Je | J'ai bu de l'eau. | I drank water. | |
| Tu | Tu as bu du café ? | Did you drink coffee? | |
| Il | Il a bu trop vite. | He drank too fast. | |
| Nous | Nous avons bu un verre. | We had (drank) a drink. | |
| Vous | Vous avez bu du vin. | You drank wine. | |
| Ils | Ils ont bu du lait. | They drank milk. |
| Je | J'ai compris la leçon. | I understood the lesson. | |
| Tu | Tu as compris ? | Did you understand? | |
| Elle | Elle a compris le problème. | She understood the problem. | |
| Nous | Nous avons compris la règle. | We understood the rule. | |
| Vous | Vous avez compris l'exercice. | You understood the exercise. | |
| Ils | Ils ont compris. | They understood. |
Talking about last night.
Tu as mangé au restaurant hier ?
(Did you eat at the restaurant yesterday?)Oui, j'ai fini mon travail à 19h et j'ai vu Hugo.
(Yes, I finished my work at 7pm and I saw Hugo.)Vous avez aimé le repas ?
(Did you like the meal?)In France, lunch is sacred. It's not a 10-minute sandwich at your desk; it's a "pause" that can last 1 to 2 hours. Even schoolchildren have a 3-course sit-down meal. When you say "J'ai mangé" (I ate), it usually implies a proper meal!
Click the correct form to translate: "I ate"
Download the Chapter 16 flashcard deck to memorize irregular past participles.