<p>The <em>passé composé</em> is the most common French past tense, often used in conjunction with the <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/imperfect-french-past-tense-1368859" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="1">imperfect</a>. The <em>passé composé</em> can express any of the following:</p><h3><br/>I. An Action Completed in the Past</h3><p><em>As-tu étudié ce weekend?</em><br/>Did you study this weekend?<br/><br/><em>Ils ont déjà mangé.</em><br/>They have already eaten.</p><h3>II. An Action Repeated a Number of Times in the Past</h3><p><em>Oui, j&#39;ai mangé cinq fois hier.</em><br/>Yes, I did eat five times yesterday.<br/><em>Nous avons visité Paris plusieurs fois.</em><br/>We&#39;ve visited Paris several times.</p><h3>III. A Series of Actions Completed in the Past</h3><p><em>Quand je suis arrivé, j&#39;ai vu les fleurs.</em><br/>When I arrived, I saw the flowers.<br/><br/><em>Samedi, il a vu sa mère, a parlé au médicin et a trouvé un chat.</em><br/>Saturday he saw his mother, talked to the doctor, and found a cat.<br/><br/><em>Related lesson:</em> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/etre-verbs-french-auxiliary-verbs-1368843" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="2">Repeating auxiliary verbs</a><br/><br/>The <em>passé composé</em> has three possible English equivalents. For example, <em>j&#39;ai dansé</em> can mean</p><ol><li>I danced (<a data-inlink="k5EyiVhWR1ipYLlFzOOvtg&#61;&#61;" href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-simple-past-1368893" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="3">simple past</a>)</li><li>I have danced (present perfect)</li><li>I did dance (past emphatic)</li></ol><p>Learn how to conjugate the passé composé.<br/><br/>Passé composé quiz</p><p>The <em>passé composé</em> is a <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-compound-tenses-and-moods-1368821" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="4">compound conjugation</a>, which means it has two parts:</p><ol><li> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-present-tense-1368922" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="5">present tense</a> of the <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/etre-verbs-french-auxiliary-verbs-1368843" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="6">auxiliary verb</a> (either <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/avoir-to-have-1371031" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="7">avoir</a> or <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/etre-to-be-1371032" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="8">être</a>)</li><li> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-past-participle-1368899" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="9">past participle</a> of the main verb</li></ol><p><br/><strong>Note:</strong>Like all compound conjugations, the <em>passé composé</em> may be subject to grammatical <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-agreement-compound-verbs-works-4086482" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="10">agreement</a>:</p><ul><li>When the auxiliary verb is <em>être</em>, the <a data-inlink="ov76qZg9RDdzn8jrEAyXSw&#61;&#61;" href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-past-participle-1368899" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="11">past participle</a> must agree with the subject</li><li>When the auxiliary verb is <em>avoir</em>, the past participle may have to agree with its <a data-inlink="cOnC9Dfgwfi4rLObiZ0Fuw&#61;&#61;" href="https://www.thoughtco.com/direct-object-pronouns-1368838" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="12">direct object</a> </li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5"><h3><br/>French Passé Composé Conjugations</h3></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><strong>AIMER</strong> (auxiliary verb is <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/avoir-to-have-1371031" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="13">avoir</a>)</td></tr><tr><td>j&#39;</td><td><strong>ai aimé</strong></td><td> </td><td>nous</td><td><strong>avons aimé</strong></td></tr><tr><td>tu</td><td><strong>as aimé</strong></td><td> </td><td>vous</td><td><strong>avez aimé</strong></td></tr><tr><td>il,<br/>elle </td><td><strong>a aimé</strong></td><td> </td><td>ils,<br/>elles </td><td><strong>ont aimé</strong></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><strong>DEVENIR</strong> (<a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/etre-verbs-french-auxiliary-verbs-1368843" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="14">être verb</a>)</td></tr><tr><td>je</td><td><strong>suis devenu(e)</strong></td><td> </td><td>nous</td><td><strong>sommes devenu(e)s</strong></td></tr><tr><td>tu</td><td><strong>es devenu(e)</strong></td><td> </td><td>vous</td><td><strong>êtes devenu(e)(s)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>il</td><td><strong>est devenu</strong></td><td> </td><td>ils</td><td><strong>sont devenus</strong></td></tr><tr><td>elle </td><td><strong>est devenue</strong></td><td> </td><td>elles</td><td><strong>sont devenues</strong></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><strong>SE LAVER</strong> (<a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-pronominal-and-pronominal-verbs-1368926" data-type="internalLink" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-ordinal="15">pronominal verb</a>)</td></tr><tr><td>je</td><td><strong>me suis lavé(e)</strong></td><td> </td><td>nous</td><td><strong>nous sommes lavé(e)s</strong></td></tr><tr><td>tu</td><td><strong>t&#39;es lavé(e)</strong></td><td> </td><td>vous</td><td><strong>vous êtes lavé(e)(s)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>il</td><td><strong>s&#39;est lavé</strong></td><td> </td><td>ils</td><td><strong>se sont lavés</strong></td></tr><tr><td>elle </td><td><strong>s&#39;est lavée</strong></td><td> </td><td>elles</td><td><strong>se sont lavées</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>