French grammar: l’accord du participe passé avec être et avoir

What this grammar point covers

In French, the past participle (participe passé) changes in some cases to agree with the subject or object. This is called 'agreement of the past participle' and depends on whether the auxiliary verb is 'être' or 'avoir'.

When to use it

You use the agreement of the past participle in French when forming compound tenses (like passé composé). With 'être', the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. With 'avoir', the past participle usually does not change, unless the direct object comes before the verb.

Key forms

• With être: Je suis allé(e), Elles sont arrivées
• With avoir: J'ai mangé, J'ai vu la fille

Examples

Tips

• With 'être', always make the past participle agree with the subject in gender and number.
• With 'avoir', only make the past participle agree if the direct object comes before the verb.
• Watch for silent endings: -e (feminine), -s (plural), -es (feminine plural) are not pronounced but must be written.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs use 'être' as an auxiliary only when they are not followed by a direct object (for example: 'sortir', 'monter', 'descendre').
• Reflexive verbs use 'être', but agreement depends on the function of the reflexive pronoun.