French grammar
Le passé composé : j'ai travaillé
Say what you did yesterday.
From the scene Qu'est-ce que tu as fait hier ? (What did you do yesterday?)
In short
Finished past actions: avoir + past participle. -er verbs end in -é: j'ai travaillé, tu as dîné.
- I worked j'ai travaillé
- you worked tu as travaillé
- he / she worked il / elle a travaillé
- I had dinner j'ai dîné
Your turn
Which one goes with you worked?
Options: j'ai travaillé · il / elle a travaillé · tu as travaillé
Show answer
you worked → tu as travaillé
How it works
For finished actions (yesterday, last night) use avoir + the past participle, the verb's past form.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Chez lui. Javi (blank) cuisiné une paella.
Options: a · ai · as
Show answer
Chez lui. Javi a cuisiné une paella.
At his place. Javi cooked a paella.
Good to know
J'ai travaillé (I worked), tu as travaillé (you worked), il/elle a travaillé (he/she worked).
Good to know
For every -er verb, the past participle ends in -é: dîner → dîné. A few common verbs use être instead: il est passé.
I worked j'ai travaillé
Nuria
Hier, j'ai travaillé toute la journée.
Yesterday I worked all day.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Hier, (blank) toute la journée.
Options: elle a travaillé · j'ai travaillé · tu as travaillé
Show answer
Nuria
Hier, j'ai travaillé toute la journée.
Yesterday I worked all day.
you worked tu as travaillé
Your turn
What goes with tu as travaillé?
Options: you worked · I worked · he / she worked
Show answer
tu as travaillé → you worked
he / she worked il / elle a travaillé
I had dinner j'ai dîné
Nuria
Oui, j'ai dîné avec Javi.
Yes, I had dinner with Javi.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Oui, (blank) avec Javi.
Options: j'ai travaillé · tu as travaillé · j'ai dîné
Show answer
Nuria
Oui, j'ai dîné avec Javi.
Yes, I had dinner with Javi.
Common mistake
Not ai or a here. Elena asks Nuria.
Et le soir ? Tu as dîné ?
And in the evening? Did you have any dinner?
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| I worked | j'ai travaillé |
|---|---|
| you worked | tu as travaillé |
| he / she worked | il / elle a travaillé |
| I had dinner | j'ai dîné |
More lines from the story
- ElenaEt le soir ? Tu as dîné ?And in the evening? Did you have any dinner?
- NuriaChez lui. Javi a cuisiné une paella.At his place. Javi cooked a paella.
- ElenaMa chérie, Javi est passé sous ma fenêtre. Avec toi. Deux fois.Dear, Javi walked past my window. With you. Twice.
- ElenaEt tu as aimé ?And did you like it?