Which verbs take etre in the passe compose?

The vast majority of verbs will take 'avoir' when using the passe compose. This tense is used to describe something that has happened in the past. It is the equivalent of saying for example, I have jumped. In French, for some verbs you will use avoir to say this, and for others you will use etre.
To identify the etre verbs, you can use a well known acronym to help you learn. This is known as 'Dr and Mrs Vandertramp' and the verbs are as follows:
Devenir (to become)Revenir (to come back)Monter (to go up)Retourner (to return)Sortir (to go out)Venir (to come)Aller (to go)Naître (to be born)Descendre (to go down)Entrer (to enter)Rentrer (to go home/to return)Tomber (to fall)Rester (to remain)Arriver (to arrive)Mourir (to die)Partir (to leave)

ND
Answered by Nicholas D. French tutor

2131 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I form the perfect tense in French?


In the perfect tense, with verbs ending in -er, how do you know when to write "é/és/ée/ées" at the end of the verb?


Please could you explain to me when past participles must agree when using the passé composé? (NB in my experience, this was an issue for A-Level students of French too)


Quels sont les avantages et les inconvénients d'internet?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning