In some cases you can find patterns. For example, most irregular verbs that end in -oir have a past participle that ends in u. The past participle of “voir” (to see) is “vu;” the past participle of “vouloir” (to want or to wish) is “voulu. " Most irregular verbs that end in -re have a past participle that ends in -is. For example, the past participle of “comprendre” (to understand) is “compris;” the past participle of “apprendre” (to learn) is “appris. "
J’ai: I have. Tu as: You have. Il/elle a: He/she has. Nous avons: We have. Vous avez: You all have. Ils/elles ont: They have.
For example: “J’ai entendu les nouvelles. " (I heard the news. )
Reflexive verbs are easy to recognize because the infinitive begins with the pronoun se. For example, “se réveiller” is a reflexive verb that means “to wake up. "
The reflexive pronoun for je is me: “Je me lave” (I wash myself). The reflexive pronoun for tu is te: “Tu te laves” (You wash yourself). The reflexive pronoun for il/elle is se: “Il se lave” (He washes himself). The reflexive pronoun for nous is nous: “Nous nous lavons” (We wash ourselves). The reflexive pronoun for vous is vous: “Vous vous lavez” (You all wash yourselves). The reflexive pronoun for ils/elles is se: “Ils se lavent” (They wash themselves).
Je suis: I am. Tu es: You are. Il/elle est: He/she is. Nous sommes: We are. Vous êtes: You all are. Ils/elles sont: They are.
For example: “Je me suis réveillé trop tard. " (I woke up too late. )
For example: “Elle s’est amusée. " (She had fun. ) There are exceptions. If you’re talking about a part of the body, there isn’t agreement. For example: “Elle s’est lavée” (She washed herself) but “Elle s’est lavé les cheveux” (She washed her hair. )
In order of the mnemonic, these verbs are devenir (to become), revenir (to come back), monter (to go up), retourner (to return), sortir (to go out), venir (to come), aller (to go), naître (to be born), descendre (to go down), entrer (to enter), rentrer (to return/to go home), tomber (to fall), rester (to remain), arriver (to arrive), mourir (to die), and partir (to leave).
For example: “As-tu mangé?” (Did you eat?).
For example: “Je l’ai rencontré à Paris. " (I met him in Paris. ) Use the same placement rule for reflexive pronouns. For example: “Je me suis amusé. " (I had fun. )[12] X Research source
For example: “Nous n’avons pas fini le travail. " (We didn’t finish the work. )
The ne precedes the reflexive pronoun and the pas follows after the conjugated form of être. For example: “je ne me suis pas amusé” (I did not have fun. )