irregular past participles

The past participle (participe passé) is a key component of many French verb tenses. While most French verbs form their past participles regularly (-é, -i, or -u endings), some of the most common verbs have irregular past participles. Here are the 30 most frequently used irregular past participles, along with pronunciation guides and examples in different tenses.

The 30 most common irregular past participles

  1. Avoir (to have) – eu (UU)
  2. Être (to be) – été (AY TAY)
  3. Faire (to do/make) – fait (FAY)
  4. Prendre (to take) – pris (PREE)
  5. Mettre (to put) – mis (MEE)
  6. Dire (to say) – dit (DEE)
  7. Écrire (to write) – écrit (AY KREE)
  8. Ouvrir (to open) – ouvert (OO VAIR)
  9. Savoir (to know) – su (SUU)
  10. Pouvoir (to be able to) – pu (PUU)
  11. Vouloir (to want) – voulu (VOO LUU)
  12. Voir (to see) – vu (VUU)
  13. Devoir (to have to) – dû (DUU)
  14. Lire (to read) – lu (LUU)
  15. Boire (to drink) – bu (BUU)
  16. Connaître (to know) – connu (KONUU)
  17. Courir (to run) – couru (KOO RUU)
  18. Croire (to believe) – cru (KRUU)
  19. Recevoir (to receive) – reçu (REH SUU)
  20. Venir (to come) – venu (VEH NUU)
  21. Tenir (to hold) – tenu (TEH NUU)
  22. Devenir (to become) – devenu (DEH VEH NUU)
  23. Revenir (to come back) – revenu (REH VEH NUU)
  24. Mourir (to die) – mort (MOHR)
  25. Naître (to be born) – né (NAY)
  26. Plaire (to please) – plu (PLUU)
  27. Rire (to laugh) – ri (REE)
  28. Suivre (to follow) – suivi (SWEE VEE)
  29. Vivre (to live) – vécu (VAY KUU)
  30. Asseoir (to sit) – assis (AH SEE)

Uses of past participles in French

Passé composé

The passé composé is formed with avoir or être + past participle.
Example: J’ai lu ce livre. (I read this book.)

Plus-que-parfait

The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) uses the imperfect of avoir/être + past participle.
Example: Il avait déjà mangé. (He had already eaten.)

Conditionnel passé

The conditionnel passé is formed with the conditional of avoir/être + past participle.
Example: Elle aurait voulu partir. (She would have wanted to leave.)

Futur antérieur

The futur antérieur uses the future tense of avoir/être + past participle.
Example: Nous aurons fini demain. (We will have finished tomorrow.)

Passive voice

The passive voice is formed with être + past participle.
Example: La porte a été ouverte. (The door was opened.)

Adjectives

Past participles can function as adjectives, agreeing in gender and number.
Example: Les fleurs coupées. (The cut flowers.)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • Why does “dû” have a circumflex accent, but not “eu”, “pu”, “su”, “vu”, or “voulu”? If you’ve studied French verbs, you’ve probably noticed that the past participle of devoir is dû, with a circumflex accent over the u. That might seem unusual when you compare it to other common past participles: None of these take…

  • happen (version 2.0)

    The English verb “to happen” has various meanings and nuances that can be expressed in different ways in French. The choice of translation depends on the context in which the word is used. This article explores the most common French equivalents for “happen” and provides examples for each. 1. Se produire Se produire is often…

  • compte tenu

    The French expression compte tenu is a formal prepositional phrase meaning “taking into account,” “considering,” or “in view of.” It introduces a factor or circumstance that affects a situation or decision. The phrase is always followed by de when introducing a noun or noun phrase. Meaning and usage Compte tenu de functions similarly to English…

  • direct object pronouns

    In French, a direct object is a noun that receives the action of the verb directly, without a preposition. The French term is complément d’objet direct, often abbreviated as COD. To avoid repeating the noun, we use direct object pronouns to replace it. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun (ie a naming…

  • installer

    The French verb “installer” is a versatile verb that serves multiple purposes in everyday French. Its meanings and uses can change significantly depending on whether it is used in its non-reflexive form or in its reflexive counterpart, “s’installer.” Meanings of “installer” The Reflexive Form: “s’installer” The reflexive form “s’installer” shifts the focus to the subject…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *