\u201cqu’il vient\u201d<\/em> is the COD of the verb venir.<\/p>\n<\/h2>\nHow to use COD with pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9?<\/h2>\n
In French, the past participle does not always agree the same way.<\/p>\n
It depends on whether you use \u00caTRE or AVOIR, and whether there is a COD or not.<\/p>\n
\n
But what is the past participle? <\/h3>\n
In compound tenses (like the pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9), the past participle (participe pass\u00e9) is the verb form that comes just after the auxiliary \u00caTRE or AVOIR.<\/p>\n
Examples:- J’ai fini<\/p>\n
I have finished.<\/p>\n
\u2192 fini (finished)<\/em> = past participle<\/p>\n– Il est n\u00e9<\/p>\n
He was born.<\/p>\n
\u2192 n\u00e9 (born)<\/em> = past participle<\/p>\n\n
Agreement of the past participle with \u00caTRE:<\/h3>\n
RULE: The past participle used with \u00caTRE always agrees with the subject of the sentence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n– Elle est partie.<\/p>\n
She left.<\/p>\n
Elle <\/strong>= subjectest<\/strong> = auxiliary \u00caTREpartie<\/strong> = past participle of the verb partir<\/em><\/p>\n\u2192 \u201cpartie<\/strong>\u201d agrees with the subject elle<\/strong> (feminine\/singular<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n
Agreement of the past participle with AVOIR:<\/h3>\n
RULE : The past participle used with avoir<\/em> agrees in gender and number with the COD if it comes before the verb.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen the past participle is used with AVOIR, it\u2019s different.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t look at the subject.<\/p>\n
You check if there is a COD and if it comes before or after the verb.<\/p>\n
\n
Examples:<\/p>\n
\n- Elle a lu.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
She read.a<\/strong> = auxiliary AVOIRlu<\/strong> = past participle of lire<\/em>\u2192 No COD \u2192 no agreement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
2. Elle a lu les lettres.<\/p>\n
She read the letters.a<\/strong> = auxiliary AVOIRlu<\/strong> = past participle of lire<\/em>les lettres<\/strong> = COD\u2192 COD is after the verb \u2192 no agreement<\/strong><\/p>\n3. Voici les lettres qu’elle a lues.<\/p>\n
Here are the letters that she read.a<\/strong> = auxiliary AVOIRlu<\/strong>= past participle of lire<\/em>les lettres<\/strong> = COD\u2192 COD is before the verb \u2192 agreement!<\/strong><\/p>\nThe past participle (read) agrees with the COD (the letters: feminine\/plural)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Do all verbs have a direct object in French?<\/h2>\n
No! ![\"\u274c\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
<\/p>\n
Some verbs can take a COD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- <\/strong>Manger<\/em> (to eat) \u2192Je mange une pomme<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Regarder<\/em> (to watch) \u2192Il regarde la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Entendre<\/em> (to hear) \u2192Tu entends un bruit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Like many other verbs: Lire<\/em> (to read), \u00e9crire<\/em> (to write), conna\u00eetre<\/em> (to know), aimer<\/em> (to love), d\u00e9tester<\/em> (to hate), prendre<\/em> (to take)…<\/p>\n\n
BUT…<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nSome verbs cannot take a COD \u2014 it\u2019s impossible for them.<\/strong><\/h3>\nExamples:na\u00eetre<\/em> (to be born), mourir<\/em> (to die), venir<\/em> (to come), arriver<\/em> (to arrive), partir<\/em> (to leave), tomber<\/em> (to fall), entrer<\/em> (to enter), sortir<\/em> (to go out), monter<\/em> (to go up), descendre<\/em> (to go down), douter<\/em> (to doubt), penser<\/em> (to think), aller<\/em> (to go), pleuvoir<\/em> (to rain)…<\/p>\n\n
\n- Il doute de lui-m\u00eame<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, de lui-m\u00eame<\/em> is an indirect object<\/strong> (COI)<\/li>\n
- Il pense \u00e0 son avenir<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, \u00e0 son avenir<\/em> is an indirect object<\/strong> (COI)<\/li>\n
- Je vais \u00e0 la mer<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, \u00e0 la mer<\/em> is a place complement<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Il a plu ce matin<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, ce matin<\/em> is a time complement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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With state verbs<\/strong> <\/h3>\nlike: \u00eatre<\/em> (to be), sembler<\/em> (to seem), devenir<\/em> (to become), avoir l\u2019air<\/em> (to look\/seem), para\u00eetre<\/em> (to appear), rester<\/em> (to remain)…<\/p>\n the group of words that follows is always called the subject complement<\/strong> (not COD).<\/p>\nExamples:<\/p>\n
\n- Tu es petite.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, petite<\/em> is a subject complement<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Il semble fatigu\u00e9.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, fatigu\u00e9<\/em> is a subject complement<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Ils ont l\u2019air malades.<\/em> \u2192 no COD, malades<\/em> is a subject complement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/h2>\nList of verbs that take a direct object (COD)<\/h2>\n
aimer<\/strong> \u2013 to loveconna\u00eetre<\/strong> \u2013 to know \u00e9couter<\/strong> \u2013 to listen tofaire<\/strong> \u2013 to do \/ to makelire<\/strong> \u2013 to readmanger<\/strong> \u2013 to eat
![\"\ud83d\udc49\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.1.0\/svg\/1f449.svg\")
COD in French grammar <\/strong>or French Direct Object Complement ![\"\ud83d\udc48\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.1.0\/svg\/1f448.svg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"COD](\"https:\/\/www.frenchfacile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/conjuguer-le-verbe-prendre-image-5.png\" "\\"COD")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\u26a0\ufe0f\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.1.0\/svg\/26a0.svg\")
Tip:<\/strong>If you hear or see a group of words starting with \u00e0<\/em>, de<\/em>, avec<\/em>, sur<\/em><\/strong> (to, from, with, on), it\u2019s not a COD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"\ud83c\udf6b\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.1.0\/svg\/1f36b.svg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u274c\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.1.0\/svg\/274c.svg\")
<\/p>\n