In Le Passé Composé, most verbs use avoir as the auxiliary verb but a fixed number of verbs use être instead.
They are almost all verbs to do with movement (See Conjugate coming and going verbs (+ être) in the compound past in French (Le Passé Composé)), but also those to do with states of being (birth, death, becoming, staying).
Learn how to conjugate NAÎTRE (to be born),RESTER (to stay/to remain), MOURIR (to die) and DEVENIR (to become) in Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) in French
The pattern for these verbs in Le Passé Composé:
être (le Présent) + past participle of the verb
ATTENTION:
Because they're using être as auxiliary verb, their past participles have to agree with the subject of the verb.
List of the "being and state" verbs and their past participles
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When does the past participle change spelling?
Why has 'Mort' as the past participle of Mourir changed spelling to 'mour' ? I understand adding the 's' to make it match.
Even in the 'learn & discuss; section, it show the past participle as 'mort'. is this an error ?
Hi Phil,
"ATTENTION:
Because they're using être as auxiliary verb, their past participles have to agree with the subject of the verb."
Above copied from the lesson.
This verb takes être only as auxiliary so the past participle has to match the subject.
So if the subject is male then the past participle will be "mort" and if the subject is female then the past participle is "morte"
Hope this helps to explain for you.
Bonne continuation.
Jim
When does the past participle change spelling?
Why has 'Mort' as the past participle of Mourir changed spelling to 'mour' ? I understand adding the 's' to make it match.
Even in the 'learn & discuss; section, it show the past participle as 'mort'. is this an error ?
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In the quiz Je suis devenu une pianiste why isn’t an “e” added to devenu because the person is feminine?
Are you sure it didn't say: "Je suis devenu pianiste"? The word pianiste can be m/f. Of course "une pianiste" must be feminine, but un/une is not required in that sentence.
Yes you are correct it did say je suis devenu pianiste. I had thought that meant feminine. Thanks for the clarification Krissa
In the quiz Je suis devenu une pianiste why isn’t an “e” added to devenu because the person is feminine?
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Participle form for "vous", and for "elles"
In this case, most people wouldn't do the liaison between "restées" and "à", it sounds weird to me personally :)
I would say that usually before "à la maison" I wouldn't do the liaison.
Following this question, I also decided to rework the lesson on agreement, and add a section about the "vous" agreement there ;)
-> Agreeing past participle with subject's gender and number with (+ être) verbs in the compound past in French (Le Passé Composé)
Merci et à bientôt !
Participle form for "vous", and for "elles"
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what about using mort or né as an adjective?
Yes, past participles of all verbs can be used as adjectives.
what about using mort or né as an adjective?
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Décéder & Devenir
Bonjour Chris !
All the (+être) verbs are covered in our system in two lessons: this one (for 'rogue' verbs) and the "coming and going verbs" lesson (see https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-coming-and-going-verbs-etre-in-le-passe-compose-conversational-past).
Also remember that all reflexive verbs also take être in Le Passé Composé: https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/conjugate-reflexive-verbs-in-the-passe-compose-conversational-past
À bientôt !
"Décéder" caught me by surprise too. It's logical, though, when you consider that "mourir," an être verb, and "décéder" both mean "to die."
"Devenir" is just as easy to remember. "Venir" is a classic "movement" verb that takes être as the ancillary verb in the passé composé. But you already knew that. "Devenir" is simply a derivative of venir and is conjugated in the same way.
Décéder & Devenir
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Naître in the present and past tenses
Yes, it's definitely a translation error.
If you used the present of "naître" in French, it would mean they're being born right now, or weirder, that they're born regularly !
You can use the present form in a general context, for example:
"Tous les ans, des quintuplés naissent dans le monde." (Every year, quintuplets are born in the world.)
The error has been fixed!
Merci et à bientôt !
Naître in the present and past tenses
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