Quand Utiliser le Passé Composé (When to Use PC)

Learning ObjectivesI can identify when to use the passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY] for a completed past action.I can form the passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY] for regular -er verbs using the helper verb 'avoir' (to have) [ah-VWAR].I can use time words like 'hier' (yesterday) [ee-YEHR] and 'la semaine dernière' (last week) [lah suh-MEN dehr-NYEHR] with the passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY].Imagine your friend asks you: “What did you do yesterday?” 🤔 You can't answer using the present tense! You need a past tense. The passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY] is your new best friend for talking about all your past adventures! 🚀Real-World ApplicationsTelling your teacher about your weekend.Writing in a journal about what you did during t...

French TermEnglish ExplanationExamplele passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY]A verb tense used to talk about a completed action in the past.Hier (Yesterday) [ee-YEHR], j'ai mangé (I ate) [zhay mahn-ZHAY] une pomme (an apple).hier (yesterday) [ee-YEHR]The day before today.Hier (Yesterday) [ee-YEHR], il a joué (he played) [eel ah zhoo-AY] au hockey. 🏒la semaine dernière (last week) [lah suh-MEN dehr-NYEHR]The week before this week.La semaine dernière (Last week) [lah suh-MEN dehr-NYEHR], nous avons regardé (we watched) [noo zah-VOHN ruh-gar-DAY] un film (a movie).le participe passé (past participle) [par-tee-SEEP pah-SAY]The second part of the verb in the passé composé. For -er verbs, it ends in -é.The participe passé (past participle) [par-tee-SEEP pah-SAY] of 'manger' (to eat)...

Pattern 1: When to Use the Passé ComposéRule: We use the passé composé (past tense) [pah-say kom-poh-ZAY] for a specific action that started and finished in the past. Words like hier (yesterday) [ee-YEHR], la semaine dernière (last week) [lah suh-MEN dehr-NYEHR], or l'année dernière (last year) [lah-NAY dehr-NYEHR] help us know that we need to use a past tense.Pattern 2: How to Form the Passé Composé with 'avoir'Rule: The structure is: Subject + avoir (to have) [ah-VWAR] (in the present tense) + participe passé (past participle) [par-tee-SEEP pah-SAY]. For verbs that end in -er, we remove the -er and add -é to make the past participle.manger (to eat) [mahn-ZHAY] → mangé (eaten) [mahn-ZHAY]jouer (to play) [zhoo-AY] → joué (played) [zhoo-AY]regarder (to watch) [ruh-gar-DAY] → regardé (watche...