Compound Past With aver

Level 3

Ai manjat: the present of aver plus the participle.

How It Works

The compound past tells what happened. It covers both English forms: Ai manjat means I ate and I have eaten.

parlar
ieuai parlat
tuas parlat
el, elaa parlat
nosautresavèm parlat
vosautresavètz parlat
eles, elasan parlat

Most verbs take aver: manjar, trabalhar, crompar, legir, vendre and far. A few verbs of movement and being take èsser instead. They have their own entry.

With a noun after the verb, this course keeps the participle plain, even for a feminine or plural noun: Avèm crompat las pomas. Some writers do agree it with that noun, most often with fach, vist, dich and pres, so you may meet such forms in print.

A question uses the same words with a rising voice: As trabalhat uèi?

Examples (5)

  1. Ai manjat una poma.

    I ate an apple.

    Ai is the present of aver; manjat is the participle.

  2. Avèm crompat un libre.

    We bought a book.

    Avèm crompat is avèm plus the participle.

  3. As trabalhat uèi?

    Did you work today?

    As is the tu form of aver.

  4. Avètz parlat amb lo mètge?

    Have you spoken with the doctor?

    Avètz is the vosautres form.

  5. An acabat lo trabalh.

    They finished the work.

    An is the eles form of aver.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive instead of the participle.

    Ai manjar una poma.
    Ai manjat una poma.

    After aver, use the participle in -at, not the infinitive in -ar.

  • Using èsser with a verb that takes aver.

    Soi crompat un libre.
    Ai crompat un libre.

    Èsser is for a few verbs of movement and for reflexive verbs. Crompar takes aver.

How It Connects

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Compound Past With averLevel 3

Learn This First

The compound past is the present of aver and a participle, so aver and the participles come first.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

aver