Passé Simple of Irregular Verbs

Some passé simple stems are based off the past participle. Others must be memorized.

Ending Formation

Irregular Verb List

Relative Pronouns Qui and Que

Les pronoms relatifs qui et que

• relative pronouns begin adjective clauses
  
  • the man that was here
  • the man that I saw
• qui is the subject of the clause it introduces
  
  • Je vois l'homme qui l'a fait. - I see the man that did it.
  • L'homme qui l'a fait est ici. - The man that did it is here.
• que is the direct object of the clause it introduces
  
  • Il est l'homme que j'ai vu. - He is the man that I have seen.
• remember that in perfect tenses, the past participle agrees with the direct object in gender and plurality if the direct object comes before the verb
  
  • Elles sont les femmes que j'ai vues. - They are the women that I have seen.
• If que is folled by a vowel, it is shortened to qu'.
  
  • Il est l'homme qu'il a vu. - He is the man that he has seen.
• qui is never shortened, even when followed by a vowel
• qui and que can modify both people and things
  
  • Je vois la voiture qui est cassé. - I see the car that is broken.
• qui and que can modify both masculine and feminine nouns
• qui and que can modify both singular and plural nouns
• in the phrases ce qui and ce que, which literally mean that which, but more naturally mean what, ce is the noun