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Auxiliary Verbs

Avoir and être are auxiliary (helping) verbs used to form any of the compound tenses. Most verbs use the auxiliary avoir.

Nous avons appris beaucoup de choses.
(We have learned many things.)

See also Modal Verbs.

Etre:

Verbs which conjugate with the auxiliary être are:

Reflexive/pronominal verbs:

Nous nous sommes enfuis avant l'orage.
(We ran away before the storm.)

The following 14 verbs:

aller (to go)
arriver (to arrive)
descendre (to go down)
entrer (to go in)
monter (to go up)
mourir (to die)
naître (to be born)
partir (to leave/to go)
passer (to pass)
rester (to stay)
retourner (to return/go back)
sortir (to go out)
tomber (to fall)
venir (to come)

Note: Some of these verbs can also be used in transitive constructions, i.e. followed by a direct object complement. In this case, they take avoir as the auxiliary:

Compare:

Nous sommes sortis.
(We went out.)

Ils ont sorti la voiture du garage.
(They took the car out of the garage.)

Some auxiliary verbs have a modal meaning and are used as modal verbs.

See Interrogative Sentences.

For the complete conjugation of the verbs avoir and être, see Forms of Avoir and Etre.