passé composé

French

Etymology

passé (“the past”) (from the past participle of passer (“to happen”)) + composé (“compound”) (the past participle of composer (“to compose, compound”); because, unlike the imparfait and passé simple, which use endings and/or root flexion, it uses an auxiliary verb and the past participle) – both ultimately from Latin.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /pɑ.se kɔ̃.po.ze/

Noun

passé composé m (plural passés composés)

  1. A past tense in French grammar, to express a completed ('perfect') action
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