Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs help form compound tenses and sometimes pass on meaning like necessity or ability. This guide focuses on avoir and être as helpers and touches on modal verbs.
Avoir
avoir is the primary auxiliary for most verbs when forming the passé composé and other compound tenses. Think of it as the default helper.
Usage
Use avoir to form the passé composé for transitive verbs and many intransitive ones. The past participle normally does not agree with the subject when avoir is used.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ☕ J'ai bu mon café avant de partir. | I drank my coffee before leaving. | Past with avoir |
| 🍰 Tu as fait un gâteau hier soir. | You made a cake last night. | Past with avoir |
| 🥐 Elle avait déjà mangé quand je suis arrivé. | She had already eaten when I arrived. | Pluperfect |
| 🍊 Nous allons avoir des oranges demain. | We are going to have oranges tomorrow. | Near future |
| 🧃 Ils ont souvent des jus différents. | They often have different juices. | Present habitual |
Être
être is used as an auxiliary for certain intransitive verbs and all reflexive verbs in compound tenses. It also triggers agreement of the past participle with the subject.
Usage
Use être to form the passé composé for verbs of motion and change of state (often remembered by the société d'être acronym) and for all reflexive verbs. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 🚗 Je suis arrivé avec un panier plein. | I arrived with a full basket. | Past with être |
| 🏃♀️ Elle est partie avant l'orage. | She left before the storm. | Past with être |
| 🧺 Nous étions contents de la récolte. | We were happy with the harvest. | Imparfait |
| 📦 Vous serez livrés demain matin. | You will be delivered tomorrow morning. | Future simple |
| 🙋♂️ Ils sont toujours prêts à aider. | They are always ready to help. | Present tense |
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs like pouvoir, devoir and vouloir usually appear with an infinitive and do not act as auxiliaries in forming compound tenses. They add meaning about ability, necessity or intention.
Usage
Place the modal verb in the necessary tense and follow it with the infinitive of the main action. To express modality in a compound tense, the modal typically appears in the tense you want and the other verb stays infinitive.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 🛒 Je peux payer en espèces. | I can pay in cash. | Ability |
| 🕒 Tu dois arriver avant la fermeture. | You must arrive before closing. | Obligation |
| 🥡 Elle veut essayer le nouveau stand. | She wants to try the new stall. | Desire |
| 📬 Nous pouvons recevoir des paniers bio. | We can receive organic baskets. | Permission/possibility |
| ⚠️ Ils doivent respecter les règles du marché. | They must respect the market rules. | Necessity |
Summary
Auxiliary verbs like avoir and être are key to forming compound tenses; avoir is the default helper while être is used with certain intransitive and all reflexive verbs. Modal verbs add nuance and normally pair with an infinitive rather than forming compound tenses themselves.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025