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With
être, agree with the subject. Withavoir, agree only if the direct object came before the verb.
English has no participle agreement whatsoever — "she has gone", "they have gone", "the letters I have written" all use one unchanging form. So this is a genuinely new category, not a variation on something familiar. The consolation is at the bottom of this page: almost none of it is audible, so it costs you nothing when speaking.
The table
| Auxiliary | Agrees with | Example |
|---|---|---|
être /ɛtʁ/ | the subject — always | Elle est allée. /ɛl ɛ.t‿a.le/ |
avoir /a.vwaʁ/ | the direct object, only if it precedes | La lettre que j'ai écrite. /la lɛtʁ kə ʒe e.kʁit/ |
| reflexive | the subject — unless a direct object follows | Elle s'est lavée. /ɛl sɛ la.ve/ |
The form of the agreement — exactly like an adjective
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | allé | /a.le/ |
| feminine singular | allée | /a.le/ |
| masculine plural | allés | /a.le/ |
| feminine plural | allées | /a.le/ |
The avoir rule — three ways the object gets in front
| Case | Example |
|---|---|
| an object pronoun | Je l'ai vue. /ʒə le vy/ I saw her |
the relative que /kə/ | La lettre que j'ai écrite. /la lɛtʁ kə ʒe e.kʁit/ |
quel /kɛl/ in a question | Quelle lettre as-tu écrite ? /kɛl lɛtʁ a.ty e.kʁit/ |
In every other case there is no agreement: J'ai écrit une lettre. — the object comes after the verb.
All three cases have something in common that English will help you spot: they are the sentences where the object has been moved out of its normal place. If your English sentence would have the object after the verb, there is no agreement.
Exceptions
| Exception | What happens |
|---|---|
| An indirect object never triggers agreement | Je lui ai parlé. /ʒə lɥi e paʁ.le/ — no e /ə/, even about a woman |
en /ɑ̃/ never triggers agreement | Des livres ? J'en ai lu. /de livʁ/ · /ʒɑ̃.n‿e ly/ |
| Reflexive with a following direct object | Elle s'est lavé les mains. /ɛl sɛ la.ve le mɛ̃/ — no e /ə/ |
| Reflexive with an indirect meaning | Elles se sont parlé. /ɛl sə sɔ̃ paʁ.le/ — no es /ɛ/, because it is parler à /paʁ.le a/ |
fait /fɛ/ before an infinitive is invariable | Elle s'est fait mal. /ɛl sɛ fɛ mal/ |
Examples
| English | French | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She went | Elle est allée. | être → subject |
| They arrived (women) | Elles sont arrivées. | être → subject |
| I wrote a letter | J'ai écrit une lettre. | object after the verb → no agreement |
| The letter I wrote | La lettre que j'ai écrite. | que moved the object forward |
| I saw her | Je l'ai vue. | the object pronoun is in front |
| I spoke to her | Je lui ai parlé. | indirect → no agreement |
| She washed her hands | Elle s'est lavé les mains. | object after the verb → no agreement |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ | Why |
|---|---|---|
Elle est allé. | Elle est allée. | With être the agreement is compulsory |
J'ai écrite une lettre. | J'ai écrit une lettre. | The object comes after the verb |
Je lui ai parlée. | Je lui ai parlé. | lui is indirect |
Elle s'est lavée les mains. | Elle s'est lavé les mains. | les mains is the direct object and follows |
La lettre que j'ai écrit. | La lettre que j'ai écrite. | que moved the object forward |
Why this rule is such a nuisance
because it is almost never audible
| Written | IPA |
|---|---|
allé allée allés allées | all /a.le/ |
écrit écrits | both /e.kʁi/ |
The only time the sound changes is when the participle ends in a silent consonant:
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
écrit /e.kʁi/ | écrite /e.kʁit/ |
mis /mi/ | mise /miz/ |
fait /fɛ/ | faite /fɛt/ |
So in speech it is almost irrelevant and in writing it is essential. Which is why French speakers get it wrong too.
For an English speaker this has a practical consequence worth stating plainly: this is a writing problem, not a speaking one. You can hold a long conversation in French and never once need this rule. It only appears when you pick up a pen — which is exactly why it belongs at B1 rather than earlier, and why the priority order below is worth following rather than trying to master everything at once.
The practical strategy:
| Priority | What | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | agreement with être — the most frequent and always required | /ɛtʁ/ |
| 2 | reflexives with the subject | |
| 3 | avoir + an object pronoun — je l'ai vue | /a.vwaʁ/ · /ʒə le vy/ |
| 4 | the rest — at B1 it does not have to be flawless |