Chapter 17: The House of Être

Most verbs use "Avoir". But a select few (Movement & Change of State) use "Être". Meet Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp.

The Exception

For these 17 verbs, we do NOT say "J'ai allé". We say "Je suis allé" (I am gone / I went).

The House of Être

Hover to translate. Click to hear.

Naître (Né)

Aller (Allé)

Venir (Venu)

Arriver (Arrivé)

Partir (Parti)

Entrer (Entré)

Sortir (Sorti)

Monter (Monté)

Descendre (Descendu)

Mourir (Mort)

And: Rester (Stayed), Tomber (Fell), Retourner (Returned)...

Aller (To go) -> Allé
Venir (To come) -> Venu
Arriver (To arrive) -> Arrivé
Partir (To leave) -> Parti
...and the rest of the movement verbs!

The Price of Être: Agreement

When you use Être, the Past Participle works like an Adjective.

It must match the Subject!

Masculine

Il est allé.

Ils sont allés (+s)

Feminine

Elle est allée (+e)

Elles sont allées (+es)

Dialogue: Le Voyage

Post-trip report.

Maman

Tu es rentré tard hier ?

(Did you come back late yesterday?)

Oui. Le train est arrivé à minuit !

(Yes. The train arrived at midnight!)

Léo

Maman

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.)

Léo

Le Coin Culturel: La Gare

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!

Avoir or Être?

Does this verb live in the House of Être (Movement/Change) or Avoir (Standard)?

Manger

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