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 Le Passé Composé (conversational past)), but also those to do with states of being (birth, death, becoming, staying).
Have a look at the following examples:
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.
See Agreeing past participle with subject's gender and number with (+ être) verbs in Le Passé Composé
List of the "being and state" verbs and their past participles
Mourir (to die) –> mort
Naître (to be born) –> né
Décéder (to decease) –> décédé
Devenir (to become) –> devenu
Rester (to stay / remain) –> resté
There is also a "house diagram" known as the maison d'être showing these verbs in one easy-to-remember picture on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_maison_etre.jpg
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
