In French, certain verbs require “être” as the auxiliary verb in compound tenses like passé composé and plus-que-parfait. These are primarily motion verbs or verbs indicating a change of state. When we use “être”, there’s often an implied sense of “been” in English, even though it’s not directly translated.
1. Verbs That Take “Être” in Compound Tenses
These verbs are commonly remembered with the mnemonic DR MRS VANDERTRAMP:
- Devenir (to become) → devenu
- Revenir (to come back) → revenu
- Monter (to go up) → monté
- Rester (to stay) → resté
- Sortir (to go out) → sorti
- Venir (to come) → venu
- Arriver (to arrive) → arrivé
- Naître (to be born) → né
- Descendre (to go down) → descendu
- Entrer (to enter) → entré
- Rentrer (to re-enter) → rentré
- Tomber (to fall) → tombé
- Retourner (to return) → retourné
- Aller (to go) → allé
- Mourir (to die) → mort
- Partir (to leave) → parti
- Passer (to pass by) → passé (only when it refers to physical movement)
Additionally, reflexive verbs (verbs where the subject performs the action on themselves, e.g., se lever – “to get up”) also use être in compound tenses.
2. The Difference in “Been” with Être Verbs vs. Avoir Verbs
When using “être” as the auxiliary, it often implies a state of being or a completed action that is associated with the subject’s movement or change in position. This creates an implied “been” in English, though it’s not explicitly stated in French.
Example 1: “I had gone” vs. “I had been”
- French: “J’étais allé(e)”
- English: “I had gone” or “I had been (to a place).”
In this case, “être” implies that the subject has been somewhere or undergone a movement.
Example 2: “He had come back”
- French: “Il était revenu”
- English: “He had come back” or “He had been back”
Here, “revenir” (to come back) with être implies a return or a state of having been in the location before.
In contrast, when “avoir” is used as the auxiliary verb (for most other verbs), the meaning is focused on the action itself rather than a state of being, so there’s no implied “been.”
Example 3: “I had eaten”
- French: “J’avais mangé”
- English: “I had eaten”
Here, “avoir” is used because it describes a completed action (eating) without any implication of “being” somewhere.
3. Examples of Être Verbs in Sentences
- Devenir (to become):
- French: “Elle est devenue médecin.”
- English: “She has become a doctor.” (implied: “She has been made into a doctor”)
- Aller (to go):
- French: “Je suis allé au marché.”
- English: “I went to the market” or “I have been to the market.”
- Venir (to come):
- French: “Ils sont venus hier.”
- English: “They came yesterday” or “They have been here yesterday.”
- Partir (to leave):
- French: “Nous étions partis avant minuit.”
- English: “We had left before midnight” or “We had been gone before midnight.”
- Rentrer (to return):
- French: “Je suis rentré tard.”
- English: “I came back late” or “I have been back late.”
4. Reflexive Verbs Using Être
- Se lever (to get up):
- French: “Je me suis levé à 7 heures.”
- English: “I got up at 7 o’clock” or “I have been up since 7 o’clock.”
- Se coucher (to go to bed):
- French: “Elle s’est couchée tôt.”
- English: “She went to bed early” or “She has been in bed early.”
Summary:
Using “être” in compound tenses with motion verbs and reflexive verbs creates a meaning that’s often tied to a state of being or having been somewhere. This adds the implied notion of “been” that is sometimes expressed more explicitly in English, while “avoir” focuses more on the action itself.