français · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Aller in the passé composé
Choose être as auxiliary and make allé agree with the subject.
Understand the choice
Movement alone does not predict the auxiliary, but aller belongs to the set that uses être. Build the auxiliary from the subject, then make the written ending of allé reflect who went.
Core rule: Aller forms the passé composé with être, and its past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Notice it in context
Mes sœurs sont allées au marché ce matin.
My sisters went to the market this morning.
Sont agrees with plural mes sœurs; allées adds feminine -e and plural -s.
Paul est allé chez le médecin.
Paul went to the doctor.
Est is the être auxiliary; masculine singular allé has no extra ending.
Nous sommes allées à pied.
We went on foot.
Allées signals an all-feminine nous; à pied is a fixed travel phrase.
What to remember
- With a mixed-gender plural subject, traditional standard agreement uses allés.
- The extra -e and -s are usually silent, so writing carries information speech may not.
Common trap: Do not say j’ai allé. Aller requires être: je suis allé or je suis allée.