| 7.2.2 Use of passé composé |
The passé composé is used for actions of the past that are well defined (and limitted) and finished in the past. This includes the following situations:
| Passé composé |
| a) Actions in the past that are finished and lasted a certain period of time. |
| J' ai habité 30 ans en Aix en Provence. I lived in Aix en Provence for 30 years. (I do no longer live there) |
| J' ai lu le livre. I read the book. (I am finished with it. The last page is read.) |
| b) Different actions in the past are following one another. |
| Il est allé à Paris, la il a rencontré avec un ami y aprés il a acheté un cadeau pour sa femme. He went to Paris, there he met with a friend and afther that he bought a present for his wife. |
| c) When there are two different actions, the one interrupting the other is described in the passé composé. This is thought as an action that is short and concentrated on a certain point of time. |
| Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné. I was reading a book, when the telephone rang. |
| d) When actions are finished* in the same period of time, when they are told; OR when actions are finished and their influence is still strong when they are told. |
| Aujourd' hui je me suis levé à six heures. This morning I got up at six o'clock. |
| Cette année il a arrêté de fumer. This year he has stopped smoking. |
* NOTE: Actions have to be finished. English uses the present perfect also when describing that actions are ongoing in the period of time, they are told. Here, French uses the présent.
| Present perfect |
| I have worked for the same company for more than 10 years. |
| Je travaille dans la même entreprise plus que 10 ans. |
The English translation of the passé composé is mostly the simple past tense.
| Present perfect | |
| French | English |
| a) passé composé | a) simple past |
| b) passé composé | b) simple past |
| c) passé composé | c) simple past |
| d) passé composé | d) simple past / present perfect |
Again we will mention the so called signal words, still under the provision that it is only giving a hint, not giving a perfect rule.
| Passé composé signal words | |
| tout à coup | suddenly |
| alors |
then |
| d'abord | first(ly) |
| puis |
then |
| ensuite | after |
| enfin | finally |
| quand | when |
| contact privacy statement imprint |
