Most verbs use "Avoir" for the Past Tense. But a select few (Movement & Change of State) use "Être". Meet Dr. & Mrs. Vandertrampp.
There are 17 specific verbs that do NOT use "Avoir". They use "Être" instead.
For these verbs, we say "Je suis allé" (I am gone / I went). They generally describe Motion or Change of State.
Click the icon to hear pronunciation.
| Verb | Meaning | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devenir | To become | Devenu Irregular | Il est devenu roi. (He became king.) |
| Revenir | To come back | Revenu Irregular | Je suis revenu. (I came back.) |
| Monter | To go up | Monté Regular | Elle est montée. (She went up.) |
| Rester | To stay | Resté Regular | Nous sommes restés. (We stayed.) |
| Sortir | To go out | Sorti Regular | Tu es sorti ? (Did you go out?) |
| Venir | To come | Venu Irregular | Ils sont venus. (They came.) |
| Aller | To go | Allé Regular | Je suis allé au parc. (I went to the park.) |
| Naître | To be born | Né Irregular | Il est né en 2000. (He was born in 2000.) |
| Descendre | To go down | Descendu Regular | Elle est descendue. (She went down.) |
| Entrer | To enter | Entré Regular | Je suis entré. (I entered.) |
| Rentrer | To return home | Rentré Regular | Tu es rentré tard. (You came home late.) |
| Tomber | To fall | Tombé Regular | Le vase est tombé. (The vase fell.) |
| Retourner | To return | Retourné Regular | Il est retourné. (He returned.) |
| Arriver | To arrive | Arrivé Regular | Nous sommes arrivés. (We arrived.) |
| Mourir | To die | Mort Irregular | Il est mort. (He died.) |
| Partir | To leave | Parti Regular | Elle est partie. (She left.) |
| Passer | To pass by | Passé Regular | Je suis passé chez toi. (I stopped by your place.) |
How do you memorize these 17 verbs? Use this famous acronym!
When you use Être, the Past Participle works like an Adjective.
Il est allé.
Ils sont allés (+s)
Elle est allée (+e)
Elles sont allées (+es)
Post-trip report.
Tu es rentré tard hier ?
(Did you come back late yesterday?)Oui. Le train est arrivé à minuit !
(Yes. The train arrived at midnight!)Et Sophie ? Elle est venue avec toi ?
(And Sophie? Did she come with you?)Non, elle est restée à Lyon.
(No, she stayed in Lyon.)French train stations (Gares) are hubs of life. "Partir" (Leaving) and "Arriver" (Arriving) are dramatic events. Be careful: In French stations, you must "composter" (validate) your ticket in a yellow machine before getting on the train, or you get a fine!
Does this verb live in the House of Être (Movement/Change) or Avoir (Standard)?
Download the Chapter 17 deck.