French conjugation explanation

Agreement with polite 'vous'

<p>In French, the subject pronoun <strong style="font-style: italic;">vous</strong> is grammatically the second person plural. However, it is frequently used as a <strong>polite singular</strong> form to address one person formally.</p>

<p>When constructing compound tenses (like the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/81/" target="_blank">Passé Composé</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%AAtre/" title="Click to see conjugations for être" target="_blank">être</a>

<p>However, if <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> refers to a single person, the past participle <strong>remains singular</strong>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Scenarios based on context</div>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Polite Singular (Addressing one man):</strong></div>

<div>The participle is masculine singular. Do not add <span style="font-style: italic;">-e</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">-s</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Monsieur, <strong>vous</strong> <span class="green_emphasis">êtes allé</span> au bureau ? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sir, did you go to the office?</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Polite Singular (Addressing one woman):</strong></div>

<div>The participle is feminine singular. Add <span style="font-style: italic;">-e</span>, but do NOT add <span style="font-style: italic;">-s</span>.</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Madame, <strong>vous</strong> <span class="green_emphasis">êtes arrivée</span> en avance. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Ma'am, you arrived early.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Plural (Addressing a group):</strong></div>

<div>Only here do you add <span style="font-style: italic;">-s</span> (or <span style="font-style: italic;">-es</span> for an all-female group).</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Mes amis, <strong>vous</strong> <span class="green_emphasis">êtes venus</span> ensemble ? (<span style="font-style: italic;">My friends, did you come together?</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<p>This rule also applies to reflexive verbs (which always use <span style="font-style: italic;">être</span>):</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Excusez-moi Madame, <strong>vous</strong> <span class="green_emphasis">vous êtes trompée</span> de route. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Excuse me Ma'am, you have taken the wrong road.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Note the singular feminine agreement <span style="font-style: italic;">-ée</span> because addressing one woman.)</div>

<p>Look for context clues like titles (<span style="font-style: italic;">Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle</span>) or adjectives in the singular form to determine if <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> refers to one person.</p>

<p>For more details on general agreement rules, see

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/missing_agreement_for_etre_form/" target="_blank">Agreement for être verb forms</a>