French grammar: accord du participe passé

What this grammar point covers

The 'accord du participe passé' in French means that the past participle sometimes changes its ending to agree with the gender and number of the noun it refers to.

When to use it

You use the past participle agreement in French mainly with verbs that use 'être' (to be) as the auxiliary verb, and sometimes with 'avoir' (to have) if the direct object comes before the verb. The participle agrees in gender and number with the subject (with 'être') or with the preceding direct object (with 'avoir').

Key forms

• J'ai mangé (no agreement needed)
• Elle est allée (agreement with subject: -e)
• Les lettres que j'ai écrites (agreement with direct object: -es)

Examples

Tips

• With 'être', always make the past participle agree with the subject in gender and number.
• With 'avoir', only make the agreement if the direct object comes before the verb.
• Remember: -e for feminine, -s for plural, -es for feminine plural.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs can use both 'avoir' and 'être' depending on their meaning (e.g., 'sortir', 'monter').
• The past participle does not agree with the subject when used with 'avoir' unless there is a preceding direct object.