When does a verb in a compound tense require 'avoir' as an auxiliary, and when does it require 'être'?

Almost all verbs will use 'avoir' when forming a compound tense - the perfect tense for example. This can be seen in the following example - "j'ai visité" (I visited). Here, the 1st person, singular form of 'avoir', 'ai' (I have), is used as the auxiliary, while the past participle of the verb 'visiter' (to visit) - 'visité' - is also used to form the perfect tense. There are two main types/categories of verbs which require 'être', these are reflexive verbs - where the verb refers back to the subject - and verbs in the MRSVANDERTRAMP sequence. An example of a reflexive verb would be 'se laver' (to wash oneself), and the perfect tense of this would be 'je me suis lavé(e)' (I(have) washed myself). An example of a 'MRSVANDERTRAMP' verb is 'venir' (to come), which would be formed as 'je suis venu(e)' (I came/have come) in the perfect tense.

GC
Answered by George C. French tutor

2785 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Change this sentence from the present tense to the perfect tense: "Je joue au football"


When should I use qui/que/ce qui/ce que?


Quelle est la différence entre "ça" et "sa" et quand est-ce qu'on utilise l'un ou l'autre?


What is the difference between the passé composé and the imparfait tenses?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning