French 2 / Unit 3: The Passé Composé with Être
3.1 Verbs That Use Être
Notes
A small group of verbs of movement and change form the passé composé with être, not avoir. Remember DR MRS VANDERTRAMP.
| Verb | Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| devenir | devenu | to become |
| revenir | revenu | to come back |
| monter | monté | to go up |
| rester | resté | to stay |
| sortir | sorti | to go out |
| venir | venu | to come |
| aller | allé | to go |
| naître | né | to be born |
| descendre | descendu | to go down |
| entrer | entré | to enter |
| retourner | retourné | to return |
| tomber | tombé | to fall |
| rentrer | rentré | to go home |
| arriver | arrivé | to arrive |
| mourir | mort | to die |
| partir | parti | to leave |
- Example: Je suis allé au parc. Elle est arrivée à midi. Nous sommes restés à la maison.
Practice
Which verb uses être in the passé composé?
Arriver is one of the DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs.
What is the past participle of naître?
Naître has the irregular participle né: Elle est née en mai.
Which sentence is correct for "He went to Paris"?
Aller uses être, and the participle is allé.
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