Pronominal Verbs in the Passé Composé: Mastering the Agreement Rules

If there is one grammar rule that terrifies French learners and causes native speakers to pause, it is the agreement of the past participle with pronominal verbs in the passé composé.

If you are preparing for the TEF or TCF Canada exams, you must master this rule. The examiners specifically design questions in the Lexique et Structure (Grammar) section to test your knowledge of this exact trap.

In this guide, we will break down the rules of pronominal verb agreement into a simple, logical system.

The Basic Rule: Always Use "Être"

The first rule is easy.