Is there a lesson that helps us to understand the distinction between each of these three verbs (revenir, rentrer, retourner) and when one is used versus the other?
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.
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
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
La maison être
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
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 10 questions, 16 answers
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Retourner -- to go back to a place, where the speaker is not located. When used transitively (i.e., with a direct object, it means to return something, e.g., an ill-fitting garment)
Revenir -- to go back to a place where the speaker is.
Rentrer -- to go go back "home".
Some examples:
Marc a oublié son porte-monnaie au restaurant. Il va y retourner pour le retrouver. -- Marc forgot his wallet at the restaurant. He will go back there to get it.
Ce pull ne me va pas du tout. Je le retourne tout de suite. -- That sweater doesn't fit me at all. I'll return it immediately.
Mon amie est partie. Elle reviendra demain. -- My friend has left. She will come back tomorrow.
Je viens de rentrer. -- I just got back home.
Lorie asked:View original
Revenir vs Rentrer vs Retourner
Is there a lesson that helps us to understand the distinction between each of these three verbs (revenir, rentrer, retourner) and when one is used versus the other?
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SaraKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
One of the quiz questions is:
Tu ________ à finir ton exercice.
You managed to finish your exercise.HINT: Conjugate arriver (to manage) using le Passé Composé (conversational past)
The answer given is ‘es arrivé’. So, even when ‘arriver’ means ‘to manage’ rather than ‘to arrive’, & therefore doesn’t actually have anything to do with movement or coming & going, its auxiliary is still être rather than avoir?
Are there any further such instances we should bear in mind?
Thank you.
You managed to finish your exercise.HINT: Conjugate arriver (to manage) using le Passé Composé (conversational past)
The answer given is ‘es arrivé’. So, even when ‘arriver’ means ‘to manage’ rather than ‘to arrive’, & therefore doesn’t actually have anything to do with movement or coming & going, its auxiliary is still être rather than avoir?
Are there any further such instances we should bear in mind?
Thank you.
Asked 3 months ago
Yes, arriver always goes with être. Some verbs change meaning depending on whether you use them with être or avoir. Others only use avoir. So you got everything.
Sara asked:View original
One of the quiz questions is:
Tu ________ à finir ton exercice.
You managed to finish your exercise.HINT: Conjugate arriver (to manage) using le Passé Composé (conversational past)
The answer given is ‘es arrivé’. So, even when ‘arriver’ means ‘to manage’ rather than ‘to arrive’, & therefore doesn’t actually have anything to do with movement or coming & going, its auxiliary is still être rather than avoir?
Are there any further such instances we should bear in mind?
Thank you.
You managed to finish your exercise.HINT: Conjugate arriver (to manage) using le Passé Composé (conversational past)
The answer given is ‘es arrivé’. So, even when ‘arriver’ means ‘to manage’ rather than ‘to arrive’, & therefore doesn’t actually have anything to do with movement or coming & going, its auxiliary is still être rather than avoir?
Are there any further such instances we should bear in mind?
Thank you.
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Linda Kwiziq community member
Correction to this lesson
Shouldn’t it be
On est parti tôt??
Asked 3 months ago
Hi Linda,
No, as 'on' represents 'nous' here, so partis has to agree in gender and number.
Hope this helps!
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JohnKwiziq community member
Can you please define ‘ conversational past ‘ a little more clearly ?
Asked 5 months ago
Bonjour John !
We have a glossary page explaining in details what the conversational past, or Passé Composé, entails :
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 !
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HeatherKwiziq community member
In the example “On est partis.” partis is made plural even though on is considered singular. Is this correct?
Asked 7 months ago
Hi Heather,
'On' in this case is 'we', so the past participles agrees in plurality, a bit quirky but correct...
Hi Jinn,
On is like il or elle in terms of conjugating the verb.
Take a look at the following lesson for examples
https://kwiziq.learnfrenchwithalexa.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!
JinnKwiziq community member
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.
HeatherKwiziq community member
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.
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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Kwiziq community member
In the question 'You came home late' should it have indicated whether the 'you' was male or female ?
Asked 9 months ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I believe it will accept either gender if there is no specific hint.
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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MadeleineKwiziq community member
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 1 year ago
Monter et descendre can use both être and avoir and change meaning in doing so. There are lessons on this specific topic.
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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TerriKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
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 2 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
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 !
TerriKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Thanks so much, Laura. This is a great help, and very clear! Terri
Terri asked:View original
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
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Susan Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Is, tomber par terre, idiomatic?
If not, why not use, plancher? And what happened to the definite articles?
Asked 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Susan,
Yes, "tomber par terre" is idiomatic. "Par terre" is a set expression meaning "on the ground."
Tomber au plancher is also acceptable.
Susan Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Interesting, given the distinction drawn in English between "ground" and "floor" - even though this example is idiomatic. Merci!
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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JuliaKwiziq community member
Vous êtes allés au cirque hier. Why does she pronounce the s in etes but not the s in alles?
Asked 3 years ago
MarkKwiziq community member
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.
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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