Irregular past participles you use every day (mostly with avoir)
The Passé Composé — Essential Irregular Verbs
Some verbs in French don’t follow the usual rules for forming the past participle and are irregular. These verbs are extremely common, so it’s worth learning them early.
Crucial Note: Every single verb in this "Top 10" list uses AVOIR as its auxiliary verb. Even the verb être uses avoir to form its past tense!
The Big Idea: Memorize the Most Frequent Ones
Instead of trying to learn all irregulars at once, start with this list of verbs you will use every day.
| Infinitive | Past Participle | Auxiliary | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| faire | fait | avoir | to do / to make |
| dire | dit | avoir | to say / to tell |
| prendre | pris | avoir | to take |
| voir | vu | avoir | to see |
| boire | bu | avoir | to drink |
| croire | cru | avoir | to believe |
| être | été | avoir | to be |
| avoir | eu | avoir | to have |
| mettre | mis | avoir | to put / to place |
| lire | lu | avoir | to read |
Examples in the Passé Composé
- J’ai fait mes devoirs → I did my homework.
- Elle a été malade → She was (has been) sick.
- Nous avons eu peur → We were (had) afraid.
- Ils ont pris le café → They took the coffee.
Key Points
- These verbs are high-frequency, so learning them early is very practical.
- The "Avoir" Rule: None of these verbs are in the "Vandertramp" list or reflexive, so they all use avoir.
- Fixed Participle: Since they use avoir, the past participle does not change for gender or number (unless there's a direct object before the verb, but don't worry about that yet!).
Important Note 1
It feels strange to say "J'ai été" (I have been) or "J'ai eu" (I have had) because you are using avoir to conjugate être and even avoir itself. Just remember: in the past, Avoir is the King. Unless the verb is about "going/coming" or is a "self-action" (reflexive), Avoir is your default helper.
Key Takeaways
- Some past participles are irregular — they don’t follow -é, -i, or -u endings.
- Learn the Top 10 essentials first: fait, dit, pris, vu, bu, cru, été, eu, mis, lu.
- They are used all the time in conversation and writing.
- Continue combining them with avoir or être in the passé composé.
In the app, you will find interactive exercises and quizzes tailored for this intermediate level.
Practice French conjugation for free in the Croissant Verbs app
Quizzes and spaced repetition for every tense, for free on your phone—plus short grammar guides on our Learn hub.
