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Intermediate

Passé Composé with avoir

The compound past

avoir + past participle

Most verbs form the perfect with avoir.

💬 Examples
J'ai mangé.
I ate / I have eaten.
📝 avoir + participle
Il a fini.
He finished.
📝 a + fini
Participle endings by group

-er → -é, -ir → -i, -re → -u.

📊 Past participles
Verb type Ending Example
-er -é parlé
-ir -i fini
-re -u vendu
irregular — fait, pris, eu
💬 Examples
parler → parlé
spoken
📝 -er → -é
vendre → vendu
sold
📝 -re → -u
Negation wraps the auxiliary

ne ... pas surrounds avoir, not the participle.

💬 Examples
Je n'ai pas mangé.
I didn't eat.
📝 ne ... pas around 'ai'
Il n'a rien dit.
He said nothing.
📝 Negation around the auxiliary