Completed Past in French (Passé composé)
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In general, the passé composé corresponds to the past simple in English. It is used for actions that have been started and completed in past.
Some common signal words that are used with the passé composé are:
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Basically, the passé composé is a compound tense which consists of:
Most French verbs are conjugated with the verb avoir (to have). Whereas the auxiliary verb être is used for all reflexive verbs and verbs describing motion and direction such as:
Auxiliary verb | Infinitive | Passé composé |
---|---|---|
être + past participle | aller (to go) | je suis allé tu es allé il/elle est allé(e) nous sommes allés vous êtes allés ils/elles sont allé(e)s |
Auxiliary verb | Infinitive | Passé composé |
---|---|---|
avoir + past participle | voir (to see) | j'ai vu tu as vu il/elle a vu nous avons vu vous avez vu ils/elles ont vu |
Practice your knowledge by completing our online exercises!
Complete the senteces by using the correct form of the indicated verb. Bonne chance!
Example: J'ai connu (connaître) les Duponts.
1. Elle (croire) le professeur.
(She believed the teacher)
2. Tu (voir) tes amis ?
(Have you seen your friends ?)
3. Elle (prendre) une chambre à l'hôtel.
(She has took a hotel room)
4. Vous (tener) votre promesse.
(You kept your promise)
5. Ils (élir) un nouveau président.
(They have elected the new president)
6. Il (avoir) de l'argent.
(He had money)
7. Nous (boire) du lait.
(We drank milk)
8. Il (vouloir) faire ce devoir.
(He has wanted to take this exam)
9. Elle (lire) les romans de Nietzsche.
(She read Nietzsche's books)
10. Tu (devoir) répondre.
(You had to answer)
Samedi ... jusqu'à 10 heures.
(On saturday, I slept until 10am.)
je dormais
j'ai dormi
Le chien ... dans un coin et papa ... avec mon frère aux cartes.
(The dog had sleept in a corner and dad played cards with my brother.)
a dormi, a joué
dormait, jouait
Le portable de Pierre ... dans la rue.
(Pierre's phone felt in the street)
est tombé
tombait
Le soir, Pierre est ... à la maison.
(Pierre was at home, in the night)
retourné
retournait
Tous les soirs elle ... au théâtre.
(every night, she was singing at the theater)
a chanté
chantait
Comme d’habitude, je ... à six heures.
(I used to wake up at 6.)
me suis levé
me levais
Mes amis ... cette maison en 1995.
(My friends bought this house in 1995)
ont acheté
achetaient
Mon chef me ... .
(My boss was correcting me)
corrigeait
a corrigé
Ma mère préparait le déjeuner quand mon frère ... .
(My mother was preparing lunch when my brother came back)
rentrait
est rentré
Samedi ... jusqu'à 10 heures.
(On saturday, I slept until 10am.)
j'ai dormi
Le chien ... dans un coin et papa ... avec mon frère aux cartes.
(The dog had sleept in a corner and dad played cards with my brother.)
dormait, jouait
Le portable de Pierre ... dans la rue.
(Pierre's phone felt in the street)
est tombé
Le soir, Pierre est ... à la maison.
(Pierre was at home, in the night)
retourné
Tous les soirs elle ... au théâtre.
(every night, she was singing at the theater)
chantait
Comme d’habitude, je ... à six heures.
(I used to wake up at 6.)
me levais
Mes amis ... cette maison en 1995.
(My friends bought this house in 1995)
ont acheté
Mon chef me ... .
(My boss was correcting me)
corrigeait
Ma mère préparait le déjeuner quand mon frère ... .
(My mother was preparing lunch when my brother came back)
est rentré
Complete the senteces by using the correct form of the indicated verb. Bonne chance!
Example: J'ai connu (connaître) les Duponts.
1. Elle (croire) le professeur.
(She believed the teacher)
2. Tu (voir) tes amis ?
(Have you seen your friends ?)
3. Elle (prendre) une chambre à l'hôtel.
(She has took a hotel room)
4. Vous (tener) votre promesse.
(You kept your promise)
5. Ils (élir) un nouveau président.
(They have elected the new president)
6. Il (avoir) de l'argent.
(He had money)
7. Nous (boire) du lait.
(We drank milk)
8. Il (vouloir) faire ce devoir.
(He has wanted to take this exam)
9. Elle (lire) les romans de Nietzsche.
(She read Nietzsche's books)
10. Tu (devoir) répondre.
(You had to answer)
Samedi ... jusqu'à 10 heures.
(On saturday, I slept until 10am.)
je dormais
j'ai dormi
Le chien ... dans un coin et papa ... avec mon frère aux cartes.
(The dog had sleept in a corner and dad played cards with my brother.)
a dormi, a joué
dormait, jouait
Le portable de Pierre ... dans la rue.
(Pierre's phone felt in the street)
tombait
est tombé
Le soir, Pierre est ... à la maison.
(Pierre was at home, in the night)
retourné
retournait
Tous les soirs elle ... au théâtre.
(every night, she was singing at the theater)
chantait
a chanté
Comme d’habitude, je ... à six heures.
(I used to wake up at 6.)
me levais
me suis levé
Mes amis ... cette maison en 1995.
(My friends bought this house in 1995)
ont acheté
achetaient
Mon chef me ... .
(My boss was correcting me)
corrigeait
a corrigé
Ma mère préparait le déjeuner quand mon frère ... .
(My mother was preparing lunch when my brother came back)
est rentré
rentrait
Samedi ... jusqu'à 10 heures.
(On saturday, I slept until 10am.)
j'ai dormi
Le chien ... dans un coin et papa ... avec mon frère aux cartes.
(The dog had sleept in a corner and dad played cards with my brother.)
dormait, jouait
Le portable de Pierre ... dans la rue.
(Pierre's phone felt in the street)
est tombé
Le soir, Pierre est ... à la maison.
(Pierre was at home, in the night)
retourné
Tous les soirs elle ... au théâtre.
(every night, she was singing at the theater)
chantait
Comme d’habitude, je ... à six heures.
(I used to wake up at 6.)
me levais
Mes amis ... cette maison en 1995.
(My friends bought this house in 1995)
ont acheté
Mon chef me ... .
(My boss was correcting me)
corrigeait
Ma mère préparait le déjeuner quand mon frère ... .
(My mother was preparing lunch when my brother came back)
est rentré
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Carlos is an excellent, professional and experienced Spanish teacher. His method is made up of theory and exercises, he uses school documents and is prepared for all levels of Spanish. Highly recommended.
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Hadjer is a teacher in a middle school. Before that, she was working in a high school. In addition to school-based classes, she has taught English on many online platforms. Her teaching method is efficient and innovative, and the teaching materials she uses belong to the school. In her, you will find a well-prepared, expert, and friendly teacher.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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I am a serious and reliable person: availability and professionalism are the qualities that best characterize me. I have already had experiences in the field of tutoring and I have also prepared several students to study for the Trinity/Cambridge, DELE and DELF exams.
I am perfectly competent in foreign languages, but I am also able to help students in other subjects (humanistic or not). I have got a Master's degree in Modern Languages and Literatures and my language skills are certified.
Lessons include conversations in the language chosen and I normally share teaching materials previously chosen according to the needs of the student. When necessary, we will start the lessons with a review of grammar and then address the topics requested by the student.
Lessons are mainly aimed at middle school and high school students, but I also provide preparation for university exams.
As a private teacher, I find it important to discuss with the student on issues related to the modality of the lessons and the objectives of they pursue. I am very patient and I use very flexible teaching methods.
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Laura is a young teacher with a degree in languages. Her teaching method is based on her university books, teachers' advice and direct experience with her students. The material she uses during the lessons is well-structured and planned. With her, you will be able to learn a new language very easily.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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I’ve worked on my French with Natalia for several weeks now, and I’m enjoying it a lot. I speak a lot during the lessons, which is exactly what I need at the moment. There is always a good balance of working on grammar and practising conversation. I’m looking forward to continue my lessons over the next few months :)
Natalia L.
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Eline already speaks and writes very good and we are working towards achieving an advanced level of French. We always have many topics of conversations and I see how she always improves fer French.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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We are an Italian family residing in France for 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the children two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with the choice. Nous sommes une famille italienne résidant en France depuis janvier, nous avons deux enfants de 10 ans qui viennent de commencer la CM1. Nous avons demandé à Natalia de leur donner deux leçons par semaine pour accélérer leur apprentissage. Nous sommes super contents de Natalia. We are an Italian family living in France since 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the kids two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with this choice.
Natalia L.
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Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
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She is kind. She listen to me and tries to adapt the course to my expectations. She has all the books to prepare The DELF and DALF Exam which she offers for free to the student.
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Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
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Hella is a very easy-going and open-minded person. She asked me to introduce myself and was in the process of determining my level of French, which was fine. Then she introduced herself and described her teaching model, which I found to be very sensible. We have also expressed the objectives. I believe I can reach them with Hella's help. Looking forward to our next lessons!
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Hello!
My name is Ivan. I am a Russian tutor with 16 years of teaching experience. The levels I teach are A1~B2. Individual learners and groups are welcomed!
Our main focus will be on speaking. At each lesson we will work on pronunciation, learn to ask questions and give detailed answers, playing out various role-plays. After every lesson, you will be assigned written and/or audio homework. You will get detailed feedback on every unclear point.
In my lessons, I use e-textbooks (not included in lessons’ price), and my materials (included in lessons’ price).
I won't promise that you will speak Russian in 5 lessons or 1 week, but I promise that you will practice a lot and there will be no unclear points left behind.
Don’t be afraid to take the first step!
Remember: “The devil is not so black as he is painted”!
See you soon in our first lesson!
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The professor's preparation is impeccable. Perfect to go from basic to advanced level. He organizes the lessons with PDFs and documents customized by him according to the student. Friendly and experienced, perfect for all ages.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hello everyone,
My name is Ilaria, I am 30 years old, I have a post-graduate Master in Linguistic Education at the Ca'Foscari University of Venice. I currently teach Italian to foreigners online.
I gained numerous experiences abroad, I volunteered for one year in Romania, then I worked for two years in Bucharest and two in Ireland in the field of customer service for international companies.
I am a native speaker of Italian but I speak fluent English, Romanian and French.
I currently live in Bologna.
I also love fitness, sitcoms, social media (memes are my passion) and, when the crown allows it, travel.
Can't wait to hear from you! Do not hesitate to send me a message if you would like to be guided in your process of learning my beautiful language.
I have a CEDILS certification.
In the first lesson I try to get an impression of the students, their attitude, cognitive style, needs, level of exposure to the language, motivation etc. I try an inductive - conversational approach first, I plan every lesson and I provide the student with a Google Drive file, anticipating contents and activities.Mostly I tend to work on what it's best for the students (ex. some of them prefer learning tables with grammar rules, verbs etc by heart, I make them understand that this is not considered the fastest nor most efficient way generally, but if it works for them I encourage it). I always try to make them capable of learn by their own and I want them to see me as a facilitator, a guide, not "the person who owns the knowledge". I keep my students focused by constantly stimulating them, asking questions, asking them to share thoughts and formulate hypotheses. Also I always provide explanations for what I do, why I do it in a certain way and at a certain time. I also use a manual.
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Ilaria is a young and motivated teacher. He personally writes the exercises to be done and uses a very innovative method for learning. It uses Google to share documents to use during the lesson, making it more fluid and effective, with the aim of facilitating the learning of its students. Learning with her is a great choice.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Ilaria V.
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Thanks Giacomo!
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Hello, my name is Claus !For many years I teach students from all over the world as a professional teacher of the German language. With a lot of experience and patience I lead my students to their to teach successfully and with fun. I offer you general language courses of B1- C2 with test preparations, as well as courses in Business German (prerequisites are language proficiency in German from level B1 +!).
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Thanks for your support. I learned a lot from you and my last German test went very well. I will be happy to contact you again if I need your help again. With kind regards
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Hi there, thank you for stopping by! My name is Cristina, I'm a CELTA qualified English teacher and I have a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages; I speak English fluently and I can communicate in Italian, Portuguese, French and Spanish. Being a language learner myself and thanks to my educational background I have a deep understanding of language structure and I can easily put myself in my students’ shoes and understand the areas they might struggle with.
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Over the last few years I've had several experiences in international companies, which allowed me to become familiar with tourism and business-related language, so I can help you strengthen your communication skills in these areas, as well as in everyday conversational English to communicate with co-workers, clients and friends.
If you have any questions drop me a message or book a trial lesson so that we can get to know each other!
I look forward to meeting to you :)
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Cristina is a professional and motivated teacher who recently passed her Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has already gained experience in teaching English. During her classes, she provides slides with exercises gathered from different books and uses a variety of teaching methods such as controlled practices or free speaking exercises. Throughout the whole lesson, she encourages her students to actively speak English.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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Natalia will be really interested in you as a person, what your goals are, and motivation for you to learn the language. I liked how she was answering all my questions, were patient and positive on our lesson.
Natalia L.
Toma, your interest for the language and having learned other languages before will be very helpful for you, continue with your motivation for learning French!
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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Natalia is a great teacher. She uses a variety of teaching methods and always considers my wishes and learning goals. The atmosphere is very pleasant, we speak a lot about random topics but also about situations from my work, which really helps to improve my conversation skills.
Natalia L.
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We work with Janeke on improving her skills using situations from her work environment. Also, we discuss different topics, using a variety of materials. I have seen her French improve very quickly. Congratulations Janeke!
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Virginie is the best French teacher I ever came across. She has been a great help in preparing for DELF B1. Her clear method of explaining helps me understand and retain the grammar rules. She is very patient and her calm personality removes my anxiety and puts my mind at ease. I highly recommend her and thank her for the wonderful learning experience.
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Carlos is an excellent, professional and experienced Spanish teacher. His method is made up of theory and exercises, he uses school documents and is prepared for all levels of Spanish. Highly recommended.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hadjer is a teacher in a middle school. Before that, she was working in a high school. In addition to school-based classes, she has taught English on many online platforms. Her teaching method is efficient and innovative, and the teaching materials she uses belong to the school. In her, you will find a well-prepared, expert, and friendly teacher.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
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Communication
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I am a serious and reliable person: availability and professionalism are the qualities that best characterize me. I have already had experiences in the field of tutoring and I have also prepared several students to study for the Trinity/Cambridge, DELE and DELF exams.
I am perfectly competent in foreign languages, but I am also able to help students in other subjects (humanistic or not). I have got a Master's degree in Modern Languages and Literatures and my language skills are certified.
Lessons include conversations in the language chosen and I normally share teaching materials previously chosen according to the needs of the student. When necessary, we will start the lessons with a review of grammar and then address the topics requested by the student.
Lessons are mainly aimed at middle school and high school students, but I also provide preparation for university exams.
As a private teacher, I find it important to discuss with the student on issues related to the modality of the lessons and the objectives of they pursue. I am very patient and I use very flexible teaching methods.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
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Laura is a young teacher with a degree in languages. Her teaching method is based on her university books, teachers' advice and direct experience with her students. The material she uses during the lessons is well-structured and planned. With her, you will be able to learn a new language very easily.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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I’ve worked on my French with Natalia for several weeks now, and I’m enjoying it a lot. I speak a lot during the lessons, which is exactly what I need at the moment. There is always a good balance of working on grammar and practising conversation. I’m looking forward to continue my lessons over the next few months :)
Natalia L.
![]()
Eline already speaks and writes very good and we are working towards achieving an advanced level of French. We always have many topics of conversations and I see how she always improves fer French.
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