Être or avoir? Verbs like sortir, monter, passer (transitive vs not)
The Passé Composé — Double Auxiliary Verbs
Some French verbs are like chameleons: they can use either Être or Avoir depending on the meaning.
These verbs usually involve movement, and the choice of auxiliary changes whether the action affects the subject or an object.
The Big Idea: Être vs. Avoir
- Use Être when the verb reflects an action on the subject itself → movement of the subject.
- Use Avoir when the verb acts on an object → something is moved by the subject.
Common “Chameleon” Verbs
These verbs change auxiliary depending on the context:
- descendre → to go down / to take down
- monter → to go up / to bring up
- sortir → to go out / to take out
- rentrer → to go back in / to put back in
- passer → to pass / to spend time
- retourner → to return / to turn something over
Examples
| French | English | Auxiliary |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis sorti. | I went out. | Être (subject moves) |
| J’ai sorti les poubelles. | I took out the trash. | Avoir (object is moved) |
| Elle est montée à l’étage. | She went upstairs. | Être |
| Elle a monté la valise. | She brought up the suitcase. | Avoir |
👉 Is the action happening to the subject (Être) or to something else (Avoir)?
Key Points
- Some movement verbs can switch auxiliaries — these are “chameleon verbs.”
- Être = subject moves
- Avoir = object is affected
- Past participle agreement applies only with Être
Key Takeaways
-
Double auxiliary verbs are context-dependent.
-
Check whether the verb acts on the subject or on an object.
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Common chameleon verbs: descendre, monter, sortir, rentrer, passer, retourner.
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Examples:
- Je suis sorti → subject moved
- J’ai sorti les poubelles → object moved
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