passé composé

French

Etymology

Literally, “compound past”, because, unlike the imparfait and passé simple, which use endings and/or root flexion, it uses an auxiliary verb and the past participle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa.se kɔ̃.po.ze/, /pɑ.se kɔ̃.po.ze/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

passé composé m (plural passés composés)

1. a past tense in French grammar, to express a completed ('perfect') action

See also

• plus-que-parfait