In Passé composé or conversational past, most verbs use avoir as their auxiliary.
However, a fixed number of verbs use être as their auxiliary verb instead.
They are almost all verbs to do with movement:

Je suis venu te voir.
I came to see you.

Tu es rentré tard.
You came home late.

Le voleur est entré par la fenêtre.
The thief entered by the window.

Nous sommes revenus.
We came back.

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier.
You went to the circus yesterday.

Marc est tombé par terre.
Marc fell on the floor.

Ils sont arrivés à l'heure.
They arrived on time.

You say: Je suis allé (I went) and not j'ai allé.

ATTENTION:

Note that the past participle following être agrees with the subject of the verb.
To learn about this, see Agreeing past participle with subject's gender and number with (+ être) verbs in Le Passé Composé

The verbs to do with coming and going use être

Aller – to go – allé

Venir – to come – venu

Revenir – to come back – revenu

Arriver – to arrive – arrivé

Entrer – to enter – entré

Rentrer – to re-enter – rentré

Retourner – to return – retourné

Sortir – to exit – sorti

Partir – to leave – parti

Tomber – to fall – tombé

For more verbs + être, see Conjugate mourir, naître, décéder, devenir, rester (+ être) in Le Passé Composé (conversational past)

There is also a "house diagram" showing these verbs in one easy-to-remember picture on Wikipedia:
La maison être

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Passé composé

Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire

Verbe auxiliaire

Examples and resources

Ils sont arrivés à l'heure.
They arrived on time.

Nous sommes revenus.
We came back.

On est partis tôt.
We left early.

Je suis venu te voir.
I came to see you.

Marc est tombé par terre.
Marc fell on the floor.

Tu es rentré tard.
You came home late.

Elle est allée au marché.
She went to the market.

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier.
You went to the circus yesterday.

Le voleur est entré par la fenêtre.
The thief entered by the window.

Q&A Forum 7 questions, 13 answers

JohnA2

Can you please define ‘ conversational past ‘ a little more clearly ?

Asked 2 months ago

Like0Answer2

AurélieKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

Bonjour John !

We have a glossary page explaining in details what the conversational past, or Passé Composé, entails :

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/glossary/verb-tense-mood/the-french-simple-past-le-passe-compose

Now thanks to you, we've made the link to that explanatory page clearer on the lesson page :)

I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !

Like02 months ago

JohnA2

Many Thanks.

Like02 months ago

John asked:View original

Can you please define ‘ conversational past ‘ a little more clearly ?

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HeatherA2

In the example “On est partis.” partis is made plural even though on is considered singular. Is this correct?

Asked 4 months ago

Like0Answer4

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

Hi Heather,

'On' in this case is 'we', so the past participles agrees in plurality, a bit quirky but correct...

Like04 months ago

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

Hi Jinn,

On is like il or elle in terms of conjugating the verb.

Take a look at the following lesson for examples

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/subject-pronouns-nous-versus-on

and in particular the green box :

On is a more informal we, used predominantly in speech or casual writing (in emails to your friends for example). This is also a singular pronoun which is followed by the same form of the verb as singular il or elle.

Hope this helps!

Like01 month ago

JinnA2

But ètre is still singular, 'On est partis tôt.'? Is it correct when 'On' is 'we', the past participle is in plural form, but ètre is in third person singular form.

Like01 month ago

HeatherA2

Vous êtes parti and vous êtes partis are both accepted as vous can be singular or plural. The form of être doesn’t change, just the past participle. We just need to think of “on” the same way, it can have a singular or plural meaning, still followed by “est”, but a past participle that changes with plurality.

Like01 month ago

Heather asked:View original

In the example “On est partis.” partis is made plural even though on is considered singular. Is this correct?

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SusanB2

In the question 'You came home late' should it have indicated whether the 'you' was male or female ?

Asked 6 months ago

Like0Answer1

ChrisC1

I believe it will accept either gender if there is no specific hint.

Like06 months ago

Susan asked:View original

In the question 'You came home late' should it have indicated whether the 'you' was male or female ?

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MadeleineC1

monter and descendre

'Monter' and 'Descendre' weren't included on the list, but I believe they also conjugate with 'etre'. Do you cover these in a different topic?

Asked 10 months ago

Like0Answer1

ChrisC1Correct answer

Monter et descendre can use both être and avoir and change meaning in doing so. There are lessons on this specific topic.

Like010 months ago

Madeleine asked:View original

monter and descendre

'Monter' and 'Descendre' weren't included on the list, but I believe they also conjugate with 'etre'. Do you cover these in a different topic?

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TerriC1

arriver, to manage, also uses être as the auxiliary verb?

I answered the quiz using 'as arrivé' for 'managed', but it was marked wrong and this is the linked page. There are other verbs which sometimes and avoir and sometimes être depending on meaning. Do I correctly understand that with arriver it only uses être? Thank you, Terri

Asked 9 years ago

Like0Answer2

LauraKwiziq language super star

Bonjour Terri, The rule is that when verbs like sortir and monter are transitive (followed by a direct object), they take avoir; otherwise it's être. In the case of arriver, it's impossible to use a direct object; therefore, the auxiliary is always être. I hope this helps, bonne continuation !

Like09 years ago

TerriC1

Thanks so much, Laura. This is a great help, and very clear! Terri

Like09 years ago

Terri asked:View original

arriver, to manage, also uses être as the auxiliary verb?

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Susan C1

Is, tomber par terre, idiomatic?

If not, why not use, plancher? And what happened to the definite articles?

Asked 9 years ago

Like1Answer2

LauraKwiziq language super star

Bonjour Susan, Yes, "tomber par terre" is idiomatic. "Par terre" is a set expression meaning "on the ground." Tomber au plancher is also acceptable.

Like19 years ago

Susan C1

Interesting, given the distinction drawn in English between "ground" and "floor" - even though this example is idiomatic. Merci!

Like09 years ago

Susan asked:View original

Is, tomber par terre, idiomatic?

If not, why not use, plancher? And what happened to the definite articles?

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JuliaA1

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier. Why does she pronounce the s in etes but not the s in alles?

Asked 9 years ago

Like0Answer1

MarkC1

I think the reason is that some liaisons in French are voluntary, and this is one of them. You can pronounce the s in allés or leave it out whichever you prefer at the time. Though when reading poetry I believe it's normal to pronounce all possible liaisons.

Like09 years ago

Julia asked:View original

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier. Why does she pronounce the s in etes but not the s in alles?

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Conjugate coming and going verbs (+ être) in Le Passé Composé (conversational past)

The verbs to do with coming and going use être

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Passé composé

Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire

Verbe auxiliaire

Examples and resources

Q&A Forum 7 questions, 13 answers

Can you please define ‘ conversational past ‘ a little more clearly ?

Can you please define ‘ conversational past ‘ a little more clearly ?

In the example “On est partis.” partis is made plural even though on is considered singular. Is this correct?

In the example “On est partis.” partis is made plural even though on is considered singular. Is this correct?

In the question 'You came home late' should it have indicated whether the 'you' was male or female ?

In the question 'You came home late' should it have indicated whether the 'you' was male or female ?

monter and descendre

monter and descendre

arriver, to manage, also uses être as the auxiliary verb?

arriver, to manage, also uses être as the auxiliary verb?

Is, tomber par terre, idiomatic?

Is, tomber par terre, idiomatic?

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier. Why does she pronounce the s in etes but not the s in alles?

Vous êtes allés au cirque hier. Why does she pronounce the s in etes but not the s in alles?

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