🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

How does Past Participle Agreement Work in French?

Past participle agreement is a French grammar rule that affects how past participles change form in the passé composé (compound past) tense. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the object when using avoir or with the subject when using être. Understanding this rule is essential for speaking and writing correct French.

Short answer

Past participle agreement requires the participle to match gender and number with the direct object (with avoir) or subject (with être). With avoir, agreement occurs only when the direct object precedes the verb; with être, the participle always agrees with the subject.

Avoir vs. Être: When Participles Agree

With Avoir (avoir un objet)

•J'ai acheté une robe. (No agreement — object after verb)
•La robe que j'ai achetée. (Agreement — object 'la robe' before verb → -ée)

With Être (être + subject)

•Elle est allée au marché. (Agreement — subject feminine → -ée)
•Ils sont allés au marché. (Agreement — subject masculine plural → -s)

Step-by-step worked examples

Fill in: J'ai __ (finir) la tâche. (task = feminine)

Direct object 'la tâche' comes AFTER the verb
→ No agreement needed
→ Answer: J'ai fini la tâche. (no -e)

Fill in: La tâche que j'ai __ (finir). (task = feminine)

Direct object 'que' (= la tâche) comes BEFORE the verb
→ Agreement with feminine singular
→ Answer: La tâche que j'ai finie. (add -e)

Conjugate: Elles sont __ (arriver) à l'heure.

With être, subject 'Elles' is feminine plural
→ Always agree with subject
→ Answer: Elles sont arrivées à l'heure. (add -es)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Choose: 'La femme que j'ai __ (voir)'.

Correct answer: B. Object 'que' (feminine singular = la femme) precedes → feminine singular -e → 'vue'.

Q2.Which sentence shows past participle agreement?

Correct answer: B. Only the second: object 'que' (feminine plural) before → 'mangées'.

Q3.Complete: 'Elle est __ (sortir) de la maison.'

Correct answer: B. With être, agree with subject 'elle' (feminine singular) → 'sortie'.

Q4.Past participle agreement with avoir: when?

Correct answer: C. Agreement occurs only if the direct object precedes (e.g., 'la robe que j'ai achetée').

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Common mistakes

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Agreeing with avoir even when the object comes after: 'J'ai achetée une robe.' — Correct: Object after verb → no agreement: 'J'ai acheté une robe.'

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Forgetting to agree with être: 'Elles sont partis.' — Correct: Agree with subject: 'Elles sont parties.' (feminine plural -es)

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Not recognizing relative pronouns: 'La maison que j'ai acheté.' — Correct: 'Que' = object (maison = feminine) before → 'achetée': 'La maison que j'ai achetée.'

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Confusing avoir and être agreement rules. — Correct: Avoir: agreement only if object precedes. Être: always agree with subject.

FAQ

When does a past participle agree in French?

With être: always (agrees with subject). With avoir: only when a direct object precedes the verb.

What are the past participle agreement endings?

Masculine singular (no change), feminine singular (-e), masculine plural (-s), feminine plural (-es). Example: acheté, achetée, achetés, achetées.

How do you know if the object precedes the verb?

Look for a relative pronoun ('que', 'qui'), reflexive pronoun ('se', 'me', 'te', 'nous'), or direct object pronoun ('le', 'la', 'les') before the verb.

Does indirect object agreement exist?

No. Indirect objects (with à) never trigger agreement. Only direct objects matter.