Tense guide

Participe passé (Past Participle)

This is a special form of a French action word. It usually shows that an action is completed or finished. Think of it like adding '-ed' to many action words in English, as in 'walked' or 'played'. You will see this form used in several different ways.

The most common way you will see this form is when talking about things that happened in the past. It is used together with another small word, usually a form of *avoir* (to have) or *être* (to be), to describe a completed event.

This form can also work like a describing word. It gives more information about a person, place, or thing, often telling you what has happened to it.

When this form is used to describe something, its ending often changes to match the word it is describing. For example, it might have an extra '-e' for a feminine word or an '-s' for plural words.

You will often see this form after a word like *est* (is) or *sont* (are). In this case, it describes the current state or condition of something, not a past action.

Less often, you might see this form at the beginning of a sentence. It is used to quickly give some background information or explain the reason for the main action.