Tutorial
In Course: French B1: Confident Conversations

Choose Avoir or Être in French Past Stories

Learn when to use 'avoir' or 'être' in the passé composé with French verbs like 'sortir' and 'rentrer', where the meaning changes depending on the auxiliary verb.

A dramatic, cinematic photograph of a person mid-action on a grand, ornate spiral staircase inside a classic Parisian building, composed for a 3:2 landscape frame. They are ascending the first step, holding a vintage leather suitcase in one hand and a set of antique keys in the other. Sunlight streams through a tall window, creating a play of light and shadow, emphasizing the architectural details and evoking a sense of a past story with rich, warm tones.
en-GB → fr-FR

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Deck Contents

26 Cards
Lesson#1
In French, some common verbs of movement can use either 'être' or 'avoir' in the passé composé. The choice isn't random; it completely changes the meaning of the verb. We'll look at how this works with verbs like 'sortir', meaning 'to go out' or 'to take out'.
Lesson#2
When these verbs describe the subject moving from one place to another, they use 'être'. This is called an intransitive use, as the action doesn't have a direct object. For example, 'Je suis sorti' means 'I went out'.
Quiz#3
How do you say 'I went out' in French?

Je suis sorti

Quiz#4
How do you say 'She went out' in French?

Elle est sortie

Lesson#5
The verb 'rentrer' follows the same pattern. To say someone came home or went back in, you use 'être'. For instance, 'Nous sommes rentrés' means 'We came home'.
Quiz#6
Using the casual form of 'we', how do you say 'We came home' in French?

On est rentré

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