FrenchConjugationPassé Composé

Finir (to finish) · Passé Composé

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated May 22, 2026

Finir in the French passé composé is: j'ai fini, tu as fini, il/elle/on a fini, nous avons fini, vous avez fini, ils/elles ont fini. The passé composé of finir uses AVOIR + participle 'fini' (just drop -r from infinitive). 'J'ai fini mes devoirs' = 'I finished my homework'. Standard for all 2nd-group -ir verbs.

finir conjugation in the Passé Composé
To Finish	Finir
I finished	j'ai fini
you finished	tu as fini
he/she finished	il/elle/on a fini
we finished	nous avons fini
you finished	vous avez fini
they finished	ils/elles ont fini

Examples

Finir (to finish) in context

Sentences that use finir in the passé composé. Tap each to hear it.

J'ai fini mes devoirs.

I finished my homework.

Tu as fini de manger?

Have you finished eating?

Elle a fini sa thèse l'année dernière.

She finished her thesis last year.

Nous avons fini le projet à temps.

We finished the project on time.

Vous avez fini votre travail?

Have you finished your work?

Ils ont fini le marathon en quatre heures.

They finished the marathon in four hours.

Tip

Working with the passé composé

The passé composé is French's dominant past tense — used in almost every spoken past reference ("j'ai mangé" = "I ate" or "I have eaten"). It's a COMPOUND tense formed with an auxiliary (avoir for most verbs, être for ~17 motion/state verbs and all reflexives) plus a past participle. Two things to memorise: which verbs take être (aller, venir, partir, sortir, arriver, monter, descendre, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, devenir, retourner, entrer, rentrer, passer, revenir — the so-called "house of être"), and agreement rules (être verbs agree with the subject; avoir verbs only agree with a preceding direct object).

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the passé composé of finir?

Use avoir + the past participle 'fini' (drop -r from infinitive 'finir'): j'ai fini, tu as fini, il a fini, nous avons fini, vous avez fini, ils ont fini. Every regular 2nd-group -ir verb forms its participle this way (choisir → choisi, réussir → réussi).

Does 'fini' agree with the subject?

Since finir takes avoir, 'fini' is invariable in standard cases. Exception: a preceding direct object triggers agreement ('les tâches que j'ai finies' = the tasks I finished — feminine plural). This is the standard avoir-verb rule.

What does 'finir par + infinitive' mean?

'Finir par + infinitive' = 'to end up + verb-ing': 'il a fini par accepter' (he ended up accepting), 'je finirai par comprendre' (I'll end up understanding). It expresses a final outcome after some process. Common conversational structure.