The Past Indefinite Tense or Passé Composé
You have learned the present indicative so far, which expresses what happens, is happening, or does happen now; but if you want to say something happened, or has happened, you have to use the passé composé. The passé composé is used for actions that happened only once, a specified number of times or during a specified period of time, and as a result or consequence of another action. All you need to learn are the past participles of the verbs.
Regular Verbs: Formation of the Past Participle
|
-er |
-é |
|
-re |
-u |
|
-ir |
-i |
Then conjugate avoir and add the past participle:
|
J'ai aimé le concert. |
I liked the concert. |
|
Tu as habité ici? |
You lived here? |
|
Il a répondu au téléphone. |
He answered (or has answered) the telephone. |
|
Nous avons fini le projet. |
We finished (or have finished) the project. |
|
Elles ont rempli les tasses. |
They filled (or have filled) the cups. |
To make it negative, put the ne and pas around the conjugated form of avoir.
|
Je n'ai pas aimé le concert. |
I didn't like the concert. |
|
Il n'a pas répondu. |
He didn't answer (or hasn't answered) . |
|
Elles n'ont pas rempli les tasses. |
They didn't fill (or haven't filled) the glasses. |
