Introduction to the past participle
In French, the past participle (participe passé) is a non-conjugated form of French verbs that is used in compound verb tenses, such as the passé composé, plus-que-parfait, and passive voice constructions. It is also used as an adjective in some cases. One of the most used examples is:
- J’ai mangé
- I have eaten
When to use the past participle in French
- Compound Verb Tenses: The past participle is used alongside auxiliary verbs (avoir or être) to form compound verb tenses, such as the passé composé and the plus-que-parfait.
- Elle a parlé
- She has spoken
- Passive Voice: The past participle is used in passive voice constructions.
- La lettre a été envoyée
- The letter has been sent
- As an Adjective: In some cases, the past participle can function as an adjective, modifying a noun.
- Un repas cuisiné
- A cooked meal
How to make the past participle?
The past participle is very simple to make. Regular verbs form their past participle by adding “-é” for -er verbs, “-i” for -ir verbs, and “-u” for -re verbs. Irregular verbs have unique past participle forms that needs to be memorized.
| Regular verbs | Parler (To speak) | Manger (To eat) | Aimer (To love) |
| Past participle | parlé | mangé | aimé |
| Finir (To finish) | Choisir (To choose) | Établir (To establish) | |
| Past participle | fini | choisi | établi |
| Répondre (To answer) | Vendre (to sell) | Attendre (to wait) | |
| Past participle | repondu | vendu | attendu |
| Irregular verbs | Avoir (To have) | Être (To be) | Faire (To do/make) |
| Past participle | eu | été | fait |
| Voir (To see) | Pouvoir (To be able to) | Vouloir (To want) | |
| Past participle | vu | pu | voulu |
| Prendre (To take) | Mettre (to put) | Dire (to say) | |
| Past participle | pris | mis | dit |
More examples of the past participle
- J’ai eu de la chance
- I have had luck
- Il a eu beaucoup de travail
- He has had a lot of work
- Elle est été surprise
- She has been surprised
- Nous sommes été à Paris
- We have been to Paris
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