Answers
Jan 05, 2015 - 12:54 PM
I wouldn't think of it as "I was eating", since technically that would be the imperfect tense (which you'll cover in later lessons). The best way to remember if it uses avoir or être is that action verbs where you are moving are typically être, like "je suis allé au restaurant" or "je suis monté les escaliers" whereas "I ate is "j'ai mangé" or I drank "j'ai bu". My suggestion would be to pick up a little pocket verb conjugation book for French. This will come in handy. Or check out this verb conjugation tool here: http://leconjugueur.lefigaro.fr/
Jan 05, 2015 - 02:13 PM
@Andy, small correction, it's "J'ai monté les escaliers" because it has a direct object. Otherwise you use être: je suis monté avec toi dans l'ascenseur. @LeSad, in French the immediate past is mostly formed using the passé composé, except in literature. I agree with Andy, do not think of it as "I was eating", because when you get introduced to the imperfect then you will be in trouble.
Jan 05, 2015 - 04:47 PM
Thanks Fabrice for correcting me on that. I need to brush up on my French a bit.
Jan 05, 2015 - 05:44 PM
Interesting discussion. LeSad, "je suis mange" is "I am eaten", hope it never happens . And, Fabrice, thanks for a new principle (for me): action verbs using etre, if they take a direct object, use avoir, right?
Jan 05, 2015 - 06:14 PM
Hi James, yes you could say that. I'm sure that there are a few exceptions (French loves exceptions), but I think the best example is this:
Je suis monté voir mon frère
J'ai monté l'escalier pour voir mon frère
The second must use avoir because there is a direct object (monter quoi? monter l'escalier). This is a good article:
http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/g...
Je suis monté voir mon frère
J'ai monté l'escalier pour voir mon frère
The second must use avoir because there is a direct object (monter quoi? monter l'escalier). This is a good article:
http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/g...