In most cases, the past participle when used with avoir as an auxiliary never changes:
Nous avons mangé. / Ils ont fini.
We ate. / They finished.
We ate. / They finished.
BUT
when the direct object of the verb is placed before the verb, the past participle has to agree with this object.
Here are the main cases in which the direct object ends up before the verb.
CASE of direct object pronouns
When you replace the direct object by a direct object pronoun (le/la/l'/les), it moves before the verb. That's when the past participle has to agree.
-> The direct object la fille of the verb ai regardé is placed after the verb, therefore there's no agreement.
-> Here the direct object pronoun l' (which replaces la fille -feminine/singular) is placed before the verb ai regardé, therefore there is agreement.
Here are more examples:
ATTENTION:
This rule doesn't apply to indirect object pronouns. For those, there is never any agreement.
See the following examples:
See the following examples:
CASE of subordinate clauses with que
When you give extra details about a noun by including que... (that...), the noun is the object of the second clause, since que is before the verb, the past participle has to agree with this object.
-> The direct object les fleurs of the verb ai senti is placed after the verb, therefore there's no agreement.
-> Here the relative pronoun que (which repeats les fleurs [feminine/plural] in the subordinate clause) is placed before the verb ai senti, therefore there is agreement.
Here are more examples:
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Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
- Est-ce qu'elle a téléphoné à ses parents ? - Oui, elle leur a téléphoné hier.- Did she call her parents? - Yes, she called them yesterday.
- Tu as parlé à Laura ? - Non, je ne lui ai pas parlé.- Have you spoken to Laura? - No, I haven't spoken to her.
