A2 · Elemental Capítulo 9

Movement and Agreement in the Past

5 Reglas totales
53 ejemplos
6 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the 'House of Movement' and reflexive actions to tell your life story with French precision.

  • Identify which verbs use 'être' instead of 'avoir' in the past.
  • Apply gender and number agreements to past participles.
  • Conjugate reflexive verbs like 'se lever' in the past tense.
Move through the past with perfect harmony and agreement.

Lo que aprenderás

Hey French learner! You've already built a fantastic foundation in French, and now it's time to take your past tense skills to the next level. This chapter is all about mastering how to talk about movement and

actions you did to yourself
in the past—topics that are super common and essential for sounding natural! What you'll learn: You'll dive deep into using the verb être (to be) in the past tense (Passé Composé). We’ll specifically focus on the famous DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs – those verbs of movement like *aller* (to go), *venir* (to come), *monter* (to go up), *descendre* (to go down), and many more. Plus, you’ll learn how to handle all those reflexive verbs, like *se laver* (to wash oneself) or *se préparer* (to get ready). The coolest part? You’ll discover how the past participle of these verbs has to change its spelling, just like an adjective, to perfectly match the gender and number of the subject (think adding -e, -s, or -es!). This creates a beautiful harmony in your sentences. Why it matters: Imagine you're chatting with a French friend and want to share your weekend adventures:
I went to the market
or
They came to visit us.
Or perhaps you need to describe your morning:
I woke up and got dressed.
These are the moments where these specific rules come into play, making your French sound smooth and authentic. What you'll be able to do: By the end of this chapter, you’ll confidently recount past events involving movement and personal actions. You’ll be able to describe where you went, what you did to yourself, and easily share stories that truly reflect real-life situations. Get ready to add some serious fluency to your French!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: List and use the 17 'DR MRS VANDERTRAMP' verbs in the past tense.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Correctly add -e, -s, or -es to past participles based on the subject's gender and number.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Describe a full morning routine in the past using reflexive verbs.

Guía del capítulo

Overview

Welcome, French grammar A2 learners! You’ve already mastered the basics of talking about the past with the Passé Composé, but now it’s time to unlock some of its most crucial and common applications. This chapter dives deep into how French expresses movement and personal actions in the past, a skill that will dramatically enhance your ability to tell stories and describe your day.
We’re focusing on verbs that use être (to be) as their auxiliary verb, rather than avoir (to have), which you might be more familiar with.
Mastering these rules is essential for achieving a natural flow in your French conversations. Imagine wanting to share your weekend plans or recount a trip – you’ll inevitably use verbs like *aller* (to go) or *venir* (to come). Similarly, describing your morning routine involves reflexive verbs like *se lever* (to get up) or *se préparer* (to get ready).
The key challenge, and the most rewarding part, is learning how the past participle of these verbs must agree in gender and number with the subject, just like an adjective. This past participle agreement is a hallmark of correct French past tense usage with *être*.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll not only understand the mechanics of these structures but also be able to apply them confidently. You’ll be able to describe personal experiences, movements, and routines with accuracy, making your French A2 communication much more sophisticated and authentic. Get ready to transform your storytelling in French!

How This Grammar Works

This chapter focuses on two main categories of verbs that use être as their auxiliary verb in the Passé Composé: verbs of movement and reflexive verbs. This is a fundamental concept for French past tense with être.
First, let's talk about the verbs of movement, often playfully called the House of Être or DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs. These are verbs like descendre (to go down), rester (to stay), monter (to go up), venir (to come), aller (to go), naître (to be born), devenir (to become), entrer (to enter), revenir (to come back), sortir (to go out), tomber (to fall), rentrer (to return), arriver (to arrive), mourir (to die), and partir (to leave). For example:
* Je suis allé(e) au marché. (I went to the market.)
* Elles sont venues nous voir. (They came to see us.)
Second, all reflexive verbs also use être in the Passé Composé. Reflexive verbs are those where the action is performed by the subject *on* the subject itself, indicated by a reflexive pronoun like me, te, se, nous, vous. For example, se laver (to wash oneself), se brosser (to brush oneself), se lever (to get up).
* Je me suis lavé(e). (I washed myself.)
* Ils se sont préparés rapidement. (They got ready quickly.)
The critical rule for both types is the French past participle agreement with être. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb. This means adding an -e for feminine subjects, an -s for plural subjects, and -es for feminine plural subjects.
* Il est parti. (He left.)
* Elle est partie. (She left.)
* Ils sont partis. (They left.)
* Elles sont parties. (They [feminine] left.)
This past participle agreement rule applies to all verbs conjugated with être, whether they are verbs of movement or reflexive verbs. Mastering this will make your A2 French grammar shine!

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Elle est allé au cinéma.*
✓ Correct: *Elle est allée au cinéma.*
*Explanation:* The subject *elle* (she) is feminine singular, so the past participle *allé* must agree by adding an -e. Remember the past participle agreement with être!
  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Nous nous sommes préparé pour la fête.*
✓ Correct: *Nous nous sommes préparés pour la fête.* (If 'nous' is masculine plural) OR *Nous nous sommes préparées pour la fête.* (If 'nous' is feminine plural)
*Explanation:* When using reflexive verbs in the past, the past participle must agree with the subject. Here, *nous* (we) is plural, so *préparé* needs an -s (or -es if all feminine).
  1. 1✗ Wrong: *Ils ont venu hier.*
✓ Correct: *Ils sont venus hier.*
*Explanation:* The verb *venir* (to come) is a DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verb of movement, meaning it uses être as its auxiliary verb in the Passé Composé, not *avoir*. Also, the past participle *venu* needs to agree with the plural subject *ils* by adding an -s.

Real Conversations

A

A

Bonjour Marie, comment s'est passé ton week-end ? (Hello Marie, how was your weekend?)
B

B

Oh, c'était super ! Je suis allée à la montagne avec des amis. Nous nous sommes bien amusés. (Oh, it was great! I went to the mountains with friends. We had a lot of fun.)
A

A

Est-ce que tes parents sont rentrés de vacances ? (Did your parents come back from vacation?)
B

B

Oui, ils sont rentrés hier soir. Ils se sont couchés tôt parce qu'ils étaient fatigués. (Yes, they came back last night. They went to bed early because they were tired.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Why do some French verbs use *être* and others *avoir* in the Passé Composé?

Verbs that use être in the Passé Composé are primarily verbs of movement (like *aller*, *venir*) and all reflexive verbs (like *se laver*). Most other verbs use *avoir*. This distinction is key to French grammar A2.

Q

Does past participle agreement always happen with *être*?

Yes, the French past participle agreement with être is mandatory. The past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the verb when *être* is the auxiliary.

Q

What are some common DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs I should memorize for Passé Composé avec être?

Essential verbs include aller (to go), venir (to come), monter (to go up), descendre (to go down), partir (to leave), arriver (to arrive), naître (to be born), and mourir (to die).

Cultural Context

In everyday French, correctly using être for movement and reflexive verbs, along with the proper past participle agreement, is a strong indicator of fluency. Native speakers use these structures constantly to describe daily routines, travel, and personal experiences. While some regional accents might slightly vary the pronunciation of certain past participles, the written agreement rules are universal.
Mastering this makes your French sound genuinely natural and precise.

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

Je suis allé au cinéma hier soir.

Fui al cine anoche.

Pasado con 'ser' (Passé Composé con être)
2

Elle est arrivée en retard à la réunion Zoom.

Ella llegó tarde a la reunión de Zoom.

Pasado con 'ser' (Passé Composé con être)
3

Je suis allé au cinéma avec des amis.

Fui al cine con amigos.

El Pasado en Francés con Être: Verbos de Movimiento
4

Elle est arrivée en retard au rendez-vous Zoom.

Ella llegó tarde a la reunión de Zoom.

El Pasado en Francés con Être: Verbos de Movimiento
5

Elle est allée au bureau ce matin.

Ella fue a la oficina esta mañana.

Concordancia del participio pasado en francés con Être
6

Mes sœurs sont déjà revenues de vacances.

Mis hermanas ya han vuelto de vacaciones.

Concordancia del participio pasado en francés con Être
7

L'actrice est allée à Cannes.

La actriz fue a Cannes.

Concordancia del Participio con Être (Género y Número)
8

Mes parents sont arrivés hier soir.

Mis padres llegaron anoche.

Concordancia del Participio con Être (Género y Número)

Consejos y trucos (4)

💡

La 'Casa' de Être

Imagina una casa. Los verbos de entrar, salir, subir o bajar son verbos de 'être'. Piensa en acciones que ocurren dentro o alrededor de la casa.
Je suis entré dans la maison.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado con 'ser' (Passé Composé con être)
🎯

La Visualización de la 'Casa'

Imagina una casa. Entras, subes las escaleras, te quedas en una habitación, bajas y sales. ¡Casi todos los verbos de movimiento en esa historia usan être! Por ejemplo:
Je suis entré dans la maison.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: El Pasado en Francés con Être: Verbos de Movimiento
💡

La Regla del Espejo

Piensa en 'être' como un espejo. El participio pasado SIEMPRE debe reflejar al sujeto en su escritura: Elle est partie.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia del participio pasado en francés con Être
💡

El Secreto Mnemotécnico

¡Ojo! Hay una lista mágica para recordar qué verbos usan 'être'. Memoriza 'DR MRS VANDERTRAMP'. Cada letra es un verbo que necesita concordancia.
Elle est devenue grande.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia del Participio con Être (Género y Número)

Vocabulario clave (7)

aller to go arriver to arrive se réveiller to wake up se dépêcher to hurry hier yesterday ensuite then / next devenir to become

Real-World Preview

hotel

Checking into a Hotel

coffee

Recounting a Busy Morning

Review Summary

  • Subject + être (present) + Past Participle
  • Participle + (e) + (s)

Errores comunes

Aller is a verb of movement and must use 'être' as the helper, not 'avoir'.

Wrong: J'ai allé au marché.
Correcto: Je suis_allé au marché.

With 'être', the past participle must agree with the subject. Since 'Elle' is feminine, you must add an 'e'.

Wrong: Elle est tombé.
Correcto: Elle est tombée.

Reflexive verbs in the past always use 'être' and the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se...) comes before the auxiliary.

Wrong: Je ai me lavé.
Correcto: Je me suis lavé.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked a huge part of the French language! Being able to use 'être' in the past makes your French sound much more sophisticated and accurate. Keep practicing those agreements!

Write 5 sentences about your morning routine today.

Record a voice memo explaining where you went on your last vacation.

Continue to: Setting the Scene and Telling Stories

Práctica rápida (10)

Rellena el espacio en blanco

Elle ____ les mains avant de manger.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: s'est lavé
No hay concordancia porque 'les mains' es un objeto directo que sigue al verbo.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbos reflexivos en pasado: me desperté, se lavó (Passé Composé)

Rellena el espacio en blanco con la forma correcta de 'être'

Nous ___ sortis hier soir.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sommes
El verbo 'sortir' (salir) forma parte de la lista DR MRS VANDERTRAMP y usa 'être'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: El Pasado en Francés con Être: Verbos de Movimiento

Encuentra y corrige el error

Find and fix the mistake:

Mistake: Nous nous avons amusé à la fête.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous nous sommes amusés
El auxiliar debe ser 'sommes' (de 'être') y el participio necesita una 's' plural.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbos reflexivos en pasado: me desperté, se lavó (Passé Composé)

Rellena el espacio en blanco con la forma correcta de 'être' y el participio pasado de 'aller' (masculino singular).

Hier, je ___ ___ au parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: suis allé
'Aller' es un verbo DR MRS VANDERTRAMP y debe usar 'être' como verbo auxiliar.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado con 'ser' (Passé Composé con être)

¿Qué oración es gramaticalmente correcta para un grupo de mujeres?

Selecciona la oración correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elles sont parties.
'Partir' usa 'être', y para 'elles', necesitamos concordancia tanto femenina (-e) como plural (-s).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado con 'ser' (Passé Composé con être)

¿Qué frase es correcta para una hablante femenina?

Elige la frase gramaticalmente correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je suis allée au marché.
Las hablantes femeninas deben añadir una 'e' al participio pasado cuando usan 'être'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: El Pasado en Francés con Être: Verbos de Movimiento

Elige la frase gramaticalmente correcta:

Which sentence is correct for 'I got up at 7 AM'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je me suis levé
Los verbos reflexivos siempre usan 'être' en pasado. 'Je me suis levé' es la construcción correcta.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbos reflexivos en pasado: me desperté, se lavó (Passé Composé)

Elige la frase correcta.

Choose the correctly agreed sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ils sont venus.
'Ils' es masculino plural, así que añadimos una 's' a 'venu'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia del Participio con Être (Género y Número)

¿Qué frase es correcta?

Elige la frase gramaticalmente correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mes frères sont restés à la maison.
'Mes frères' es masculino plural, así que necesitamos añadir una 's' al participio pasado 'resté'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia del participio pasado en francés con Être

Rellena el espacio en blanco con el participio pasado correcto.

Marie est ___ (aller) au supermarché.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: allée
Como Marie es una mujer, añadimos una 'e' al participio pasado 'allé'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia del Participio con Être (Género y Número)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

Es una mnemotecnia para recordar los 16 verbos que usan 'être' en el pasado. Incluye verbos como Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Rentrer, Tomber, Retourner, Arriver, Mourir, Partir.
Normalmente no. Con 'avoir', el participio pasado se mantiene igual sin importar el sujeto. Solo 'être' requiere la concordancia con el sujeto. Por ejemplo, "J'ai mangé une pomme (no mangée").
Es un acrónimo donde cada letra representa uno de los 16 verbos que usan 'être' en pasado. Por ejemplo, la D es de Devenir, la R de Rester, etc.
¡Sí! Si el sujeto es femenino (como 'Je' cuando habla una mujer), el participio pasado necesita esa 'e' extra. Por ejemplo:
Je suis allée
.
Aplica a todos los tiempos compuestos que usan 'être', como el passé composé, plus-que-parfait y conditionnel passé. Si ves 'être' como verbo auxiliar, ¡prepárate para la concordancia! Por ejemplo:
Elle était déjà partie quand je suis arrivé.
Porque 'avoir' se enfoca en la acción, mientras que 'être' se enfoca en el estado del sujeto. Piensa que los verbos con 'être' describen lo que el sujeto *llegó a ser*. Por ejemplo, Elle a mangé (ella comió) vs Elle est partie (ella se fue).
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