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The Past Indefinite Tense or Passé Composé
You have learned the present indicative so far, which expresses what happens, is happening, or does happen now; but if you want to say something happened, or has happened, you have to use the passé composé. The passé composé is used for actions that happened only once, a specified number of times or during a specified period of time, and as a result or consequence of another action. All you need to learn are the past participles of the verbs.
Regular Verbs: Formation of the Past Participle
Then conjugate avoir and add the past participle:
| J'ai aimé le concert. |
I liked the concert. |
| Tu as habité ici? |
You lived here? |
| Il a répondu au téléphone. |
He answered (or has answered) the telephone. |
| Nous avons fini le projet. |
We finished (or have finished) the project. |
| Elles ont rempli les tasses. |
They filled (or have filled) the cups. |
To make it negative, put the ne and pas around the conjugated form of avoir.
| Je n'ai pas aimé le concert. |
I didn't like the concert. |
| Il n'a pas répondu. |
He didn't answer (or hasn't answered) . |
| Elles n'ont pas rempli les tasses. |
They didn't fill (or haven't filled) the glasses. |
Irregular Past Participles
| avoir |
to have |
eu (ew) |
had |
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|
ouvrir |
to open |
ouvert (oo-vehr) |
opened |
| connaître |
to know |
connu |
known |
|
|
offrir |
to offer |
offert |
offered |
| croire |
to believe |
cru |
believed |
|
|
pouvoir |
to be able to |
pu |
was able to |
| devoir |
to have to |
dû |
had to |
|
|
prendre |
to take |
pris (pree) |
taken |
| dire |
to tell |
dit |
said |
|
|
apprendre |
to learn |
appris |
learned |
| écrire |
to write |
écrit |
written |
|
|
comprendre |
to understand |
compris |
understood |
| être |
to be |
été |
been |
|
|
surprendre |
to surprise |
surpris |
surprised |
| faire |
to do, make |
fait |
made |
|
|
recevoir |
to receive |
reçu (reh-sew) |
received |
| lire |
to read |
lu |
read |
|
|
rire |
to laugh |
ri |
laughed |
| mettre |
to put |
mis (me) |
put |
|
|
savoir |
to know |
su |
known |
| permettre |
to permit |
permis |
permitted |
|
|
voir |
to see |
vu |
seen |
| promettre |
to promise |
promis |
promised |
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|
vouloir |
to want |
voulu (voo-lew) |
wanted |
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