|
|
When to use avoir and when to use êtreThis article will explain when to use avoir and when to use être to form the perfect tense. For the majority of verbs, avoir is used to form the perfect tense, so that the translation is sometimes word for word in English: However, être is used in some cases. For example: Whether you use avoir or être basically depends on the main verb. In the above examples, manger, like most verbs, uses avoir. But tomber is a special verb that uses être instead. The verbs that use être are:
We will look at these categories in turn. Reflexive verbsBy reflexive verbs, we mean verbs like s'habiller and s'appeler that have the pronoun se (or s') before them in the infinitive, and generally have a meaning of 'to ... oneself', 'to ... each other'. (For more information, see the separate section on reflexive verbs.) All of these verbs have their perfect tense formed with être. Remembering that être goes je suis, tu es, il est etc, and that s'habiller in the present tense would go je m'habille, tu t'habilles, il s'habille etc, this is how s'habiller goes in the perfect tense:
je me suis habillé
I got dressed tu t'es habillé you got dressed il s'est habillé he got dressed elle s'est habillée she got dressed ils se sont habillés they got dressed  Suggest a change / proposez une modificationSee below for details of why the past participle habillé changes its form with elle and ils. Common verbs that need êtreThen, there are a few other common verbs that form their perfect tense with être. They are:
As you'll see, the list isn't too bad to remember because (a) they're common verbs, so you'll hopefully hear and use plenty of examples of them which will help them stick in your memory; and (b) they tend to come in pairs of opposites or pairs of verbs with similar meanings. Note:
Slight complication: occasions where these verbs use avoirStrictly speaking, these verbs only use être when they are intransitive. In simple terms, that means when there isn't "a thing having something done to it". In more grammatical terms, it means when the verb doesn't have a direct object. So compare the following examples:
il est descendu
he came down il a descendu l'escalier he came down the stairs Suggest a change / proposez une modificationIn the first case, we don't explicitly say what is being 'come down': the verb is just used 'on its own'. In this case, the verb is said to be intransitive. Whereas in the second case, the sentence explicitly includes l'escalier. In this second sentence, l'escalier is the "direct object" of descendre (in simple terms, "the thing being come down"). Because there is a direct object, the verb is said to be transitive. Another way to remember this is to think that in expressions consisting of "verb plus thing", such as descendre/monter l'escalier (to go down/up the stairs), sortir les poubelles (to take the bins out), the verb must always take avoir. Note that at GCSE level, descendre l'escalier is pretty much the only case you'll have to worry about. Another expression you may have come across is monter une pièce (to put on a play). This would also take avoir: une pièce is the direct object. Common verbs that sometimes use avoir and sometimes use êtreThere are a handful of verbs where both avoir and être are used to form the perfect tense. Generally, they are verbs with different shades of meaning, and the particular meaning determines which is used. passerAs with all non-reflexive verbs, the verb passer when used with a direct object must take avoir. In this usage, it usually means "to pass": When used without an object, passer has a variety of translations such as "to come by", "to pass by", "to go by", "to go through" etc. It is widely used with these meanings, and generally forms its perfect tense with être:
il est passé chez moi à huit heures
he came round to my place at eight elle est passée par Paris she went through Paris Suggest a change / proposez une modificationIn all of these cases, avoir is also possible but there seems to be a tendancy to use être. monterThis verb generally takes être, but commonly takes avoir when referring to the level of something rising (water, prices etc). For example:
le prix du tabac a monté
the price of tobacco has risen Suggest a change / proposez une modificationIn other cases, particularly when the subject is a person, être is used:
il est monté jusqu'au troisième étage
he went up to the third floor je suis monté sur les montagnes russes I went on the big dipper Suggest a change / proposez une modificationRemember that, like any verb, it must take avoir when used with a direct object. This means phrases such as monter l'escalier: convenirIn the phrase convenir à meaning to suit, the perfect tense is formed with avoir. In the phrase, convenir de meaning to agree upon (and convenir que meaning to agree that), the perfect tense is formed with either avoir or être. Examples from Google suggest that être predominates. Less common verbs that sometimes use avoir and sometimes use êtreClick here for information on some other less common verbs that sometimes take avoir and sometimes take être.
|
