Language/French/Grammar/Agreement-of-the-past-participle-of-pronominal-verbs-in-compound-tenses
In French, the past participle of pronominal verbs must agree in gender and number with the subject when used in compound tenses. In this lesson, we will explore the agreement of the past participle of pronominal verbs in compound tenses in French.
Formation of the Compound Tenses[edit | edit source]
In French, the compound tenses are formed by using an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in combination with the past participle of the main verb. When using être as the auxiliary verb, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. Pronominal verbs always use être as the auxiliary verb in compound tenses. For example:
- Je me suis levé tôt. (I got up early.)
- Elle s'est lavée les mains. (She washed her hands.)
- Nous nous sommes amusés hier soir. (We had fun last night.)
- Ils se sont rencontrés à Paris. (They met in Paris.)
Agreement with Gender and Number[edit | edit source]
The past participle of pronominal verbs must agree in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. When the subject is masculine singular, the past participle is also masculine singular. When the subject is feminine singular, the past participle is also feminine singular. When the subject is plural, the past participle is also plural. For example:
- Je me suis rasé ce matin. (I shaved this morning.)
- Elle s'est maquillée avant de sortir. (She put on makeup before going out.)
- Nous nous sommes habillés rapidement. (We got dressed quickly.)
- Ils se sont reposés après le travail. (They rested after work.)
Exceptions to the Agreement[edit | edit source]
There are some pronominal verbs that do not require agreement with the subject in compound tenses. These verbs include:
- S'en aller (to leave)
- S'en venir (to come)
- S'enfuir (to flee)
- Se rendre compte (to realize)
For example:
- Je me suis enfui de la maison. (I fled the house.)
- Elle s'est rendu compte de son erreur. (She realized her mistake.)
- Nous nous sommes en allés tôt ce matin. (We left early this morning.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Understanding the agreement of the past participle of pronominal verbs in compound tenses is an important part of mastering the French language. By knowing how to form the compound tenses with pronominal verbs, how to agree with gender and number, and which verbs do not require agreement, you can improve your French language skills and communicate more effectively with native speakers.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Formation of the passive in French
- L’on VS on
- Subject verb agreement
- Pronouns referring to groups of mixed gender
- Types of adverbs
- Nouns which exist only in plural form
- Definite article
- Agreement of the past participle with the subject of “être”
- Easy way of generating the imperfect tense
- Adverbs