Structure: ĂȘtre (present tense) + past participle (agrees with subject)
DR MRS VANDERTRAMP â the 16 ĂȘtre verbs
| Letter | Verb | Past participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | descendre | descendu | to go down / to get off |
| R | rester | resté | to stay |
| M | monter | monté | to go up / to get on |
| R | rentrer | rentré | to come back home |
| S | sortir | sorti | to go out |
| V | venir | venu | to come |
| A | arriver | arrivé | to arrive |
| N | naßtre | né | to be born |
| D | devenir | devenu | to become |
| E | entrer | entré | to enter / to go in |
| R | retourner | retourné | to return / go back |
| T | tomber | tombé | to fall |
| R | revenir | revenu | to come back |
| A | aller | allé | to go |
| M | mourir | mort | to die |
| P | partir | parti | to leave / depart |
â Agreement of the past participle with ĂȘtre
The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number â like an adjective:
| Subject | Past participle form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | allé | Il est allé au cinéma. |
| feminine singular | allée (+e) | Elle est allée au cinéma. |
| masculine plural | allés (+s) | Ils sont allés au cinéma. |
| feminine plural | allées (+es) | Elles sont allées au cinéma. |
For je, the agreement depends on whether the speaker is male or female: je suis allé (m) / je suis allée (f). In writing, use allé(e) to show awareness.
Reflexive verbs â all use ĂȘtre
Every reflexive verb (verbs with se / s') uses ĂȘtre in the perfect tense, and the past participle agrees with the subject:
| Infinitive | Je (m) | Elle | Ils |
|---|---|---|---|
| se lever (to get up) | je me suis levé | elle s'est levée | ils se sont levés |
| s'habiller (to get dressed) | je me suis habillé | elle s'est habillée | ils se sont habillés |
| se coucher (to go to bed) | je me suis couché | elle s'est couchée | ils se sont couchés |
Annotated model sentences
Je suis allé(e) au cinéma samedi soir avec mes amis.
I went to the cinema on Saturday evening with my friends.
- je suis = ĂȘtre (je form) + allĂ©(e) = past participle agreeing with speaker's gender
- aller is one of the 16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs â never use avoir with it
Elle s'est levée tÎt et elle est partie avant le petit-déjeuner parce qu'elle avait un rendez-vous important.
She got up early and she left before breakfast because she had an important appointment.
- s'est levĂ©e â reflexive verb: ĂȘtre + past participle agrees with feminine subject (levĂ©e)
- est partie â partir uses ĂȘtre; partie agrees with feminine elle
- parce qu'elle avait â imperfect for background context alongside perfect for the event (Higher)
This deep dive covers Le passĂ© composĂ© avec ĂȘtre within The perfect tense with ĂȘtre and reflexive verbs for GCSE French. Revise The perfect tense with ĂȘtre and reflexive verbs in Time Markers and the Three Time Frames for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for The perfect tense with ĂȘtre and reflexive verbs
What is the correct formula for forming the perfect tense with ĂȘtre?
The mnemonic MRS VAN DER TRAMP helps students remember verbs that use ĂȘtre. Which of the following verbs is NOT part of this group?