irregular past participles

ByFast French

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

  • half-half

    ByFast French

    The English phrase “half-half” or “half and half” can refer to an equal division, a mixture of two things, or a situation where something is shared equally. In French, several expressions can be used, depending on the meaning. Moitié-moitié “Moitié-moitié” is the most common way to say “half and half” in French. It is used…

  • to mean

    ByFast French

    The English verb to mean has several possible translations in French, depending on the subject and grammatical structure. The most common verbs are vouloir dire and signifier. Other verbs like impliquer, représenter, entendre par, and consister à may also apply in specific contexts. The correct translation depends on what is doing the “meaning” (a person,…

  • mot vs parole

    ByFast French

    Mot and parole can both be translated as word in English, but they refer to different things. Mot is a single word as a unit of language. Parole is speech, what someone says, or a promise. Mot is masculine: un mot.Parole is feminine: une parole. Etymology Mot comes from Latin mutum, first meaning a sound…

  • tant mieux, tant pis

    ByFast French

    In French, the expressions “tant mieux” and “tant pis” are common idiomatic phrases used to respond to situations with a sense of acceptance or resignation. These versatile expressions help speakers convey their reactions to various circumstances succinctly and expressively. Tant mieux (so much the better) “Tant mieux” is used to express satisfaction, approval, or pleasure…

  • think

    ByFast French

    There are a few different ways to say “to think” in French. You can use verbs like “penser,” “songer,” “réfléchir,” “croire,” or “considérer.” penser Penser means “to think.” It is related to the English word “pensive,” someone who is thoughtful or in deep thought. It can be used with “à” to mean “to have in…

  • hearing plurals

    ByFast French

    In standard spoken French, most plural noun endings are silent. The written plural -s or -x is usually not pronounced, which means that many singular and plural forms sound identical. For example, livre and livres are pronounced the same in isolation. As a result, listeners rely on surrounding grammatical markers rather than the noun itself…