French Perfect Tense

To use the French Perfect Tense, you need to know in which conditions it's used

This tense is used to express a complete action.

The French Perfect Tense has two forms:

Verbs conjugated with être
Verbs conjugated with avoir


Verbs with être

Example
e.g. Aller to go

Je suis allé(e) - I went
Tu es allé(e) - you went
Il/elle est allé(e) - he/she went
Nous sommes allé(e) - we went
Vous êtes allé(e) - you went
Ils/elles sont allé(e)s- they went

Arriver I arrived je suis arrivé(e)
DescendreI went down je suis descendu(e)
Devenir I became je suis devenu(e)
EntrerI entered je suis entré(e)
MonterI went up je suis monté(e)
Mourir I died je suis mort(e)
Naître I was born je suis né(e)
Partir I left je suis parti(e)
Rentrer I went back je suis rentré(e)
Rester I stayed je suis resté(e)
Retourner I returned je suis retourné(e)
Revenir I came back je suis revenu(e)
Sortir I went out je suis sortie
Tomber – I fell je suis tombé(e)
Venir I came je suis venu(e)

Reflexive verbs with être in the French Perfect Tense

Example
e.g. Se taire to become silent

Je me suis tu(e) - I become silent
Tu t’es tu(e) - you become silent
Il/elle s’est tu(e) - he/she becomes silent
Nous nous sommes tu(e) - we become silent
Vous vous êtes tu(e) - you become silent
Ils se sont tu(e) - they become silent

Se laverI washed myself je me suis lavé(e)
S’asseoir I sat down je me suis assis(e)
Se souvenir I remembered je me suis souvenu(e)

Verbs with avoir in the French Perfect Tense

Example
e.g. Mangerto eat

J’ai mangé I ate
Tu as mangé you ate
Il/elle a mangé he/she ate
Nous avons mangé we ate
Vous avez mangé you ate
Ils/elles ont mangé they ate

Avoir I had j’ai eu
Conduire I drove j’ai conduit
Connaître I knew j’ai connu
Courir I run J’ai couru
Craindre I feared j’ai craint
Croire I believed j’ai cru
Devoir I had to j’ai dû
Dire I said j’ai dit
Ecrire I wrote j’ai écrit
Etre I was j’ai été
Faire I made j’ai fait
Falloir It was necessary il a fallu
Lire I read j’ai lu
Mettre I put j’ai mis
Ouvrir I open j’ai ouvert
Pleuvoir It rained il a plu
Pouvoir I was able j’ai pu
Prendre I took j’ai pris
Recevoir I received j’ai reçu
Rire I laughed j’ai ri
Savoir I knew j’ai su
Suivre I followed j’ai suivi
Tenir I held j’ai tenu
Vendre I sold j’ai vendu
Vivre I lived j’ai vécu
VoirI saw j’ai vu
Vouloir I wanted j’ai voulu



To look at more grammar lessons like French Perfect Tense , click here
More French Grammar Lessons
Accelerated French Vocab Learning | French Colors | Compound Tense French | Demonstrative Pronouns | French Comparative Superlative Adverbs | French Comparative Superlative Adjectives | French Conditional Present | French Future Tense | French Gestures | French Grammar Lessons | French Greetings | French Imperfect Indicative | French Imperfect Subjunctive | French Indicative Present | French Infinitives | French Interrogatives | French Passe Simple | French Possessive Pronouns | French Present Participle | French Present Subjunctive | French Proverbs | French Reflexive Pronouns | French Grammar Terms | Indefinite Article | Introduce Yourself | Possessive Pronouns In French | To Love In French | French Verbs List | More French Verbs

Learn French Help
Copyright 2005-

Learn-French-Help.com/French Adverbs Formation.

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pass it on. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Google

Custom Search

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FRENCH TO BLAST OFF!

Get French lessons and verbs emailed direct to you free

Get lots of useful French lessons and French verbs sent to you each week free by email, from the 200 Words a Day accelerated language learning team. Great for learning, review and consolidating your French knowledge.

Yes, send me my free Learn French newsletters. My details are:

Name
Email

Your privacy is important to us. We do not sell our mailing lists.