FrenchConjugationPassé Composé

Vendre (to sell) · Passé Composé

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated May 22, 2026

Vendre in the French passé composé is: j'ai vendu, tu as vendu, il/elle/on a vendu, nous avons vendu, vous avez vendu, ils/elles ont vendu. The passé composé of vendre uses AVOIR + participle 'vendu' (drop -re, add -u). 'J'ai vendu ma voiture' = 'I sold my car'. Standard for all regular -re verbs.

vendre conjugation in the Passé Composé
To Sell	Vendre
I sold	j'ai vendu
you sold	tu as vendu
he/she sold	il/elle/on a vendu
we sold	nous avons vendu
you sold	vous avez vendu
they sold	ils/elles ont vendu

Examples

Vendre (to sell) in context

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

J'ai vendu ma voiture hier.

I sold my car yesterday.

Tu as vendu tes meubles?

Did you sell your furniture?

Elle a vendu son tableau cher.

She sold her painting expensive.

Nous avons vendu notre maison rapidement.

We sold our house quickly.

Vous avez vendu tous vos livres?

Did you sell all your books?

Ils ont vendu leur entreprise.

They sold their company.

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 vendre?

Use avoir + the past participle 'vendu' (drop -re, add -u): j'ai vendu, tu as vendu, il a vendu, nous avons vendu, vous avez vendu, ils ont vendu. Every regular -re verb forms its participle this way (attendre → attendu, répondre → répondu, perdre → perdu).

Does 'vendu' agree with the subject?

Since vendre takes avoir, 'vendu' is invariable in standard cases. Exception: a preceding direct object triggers agreement ('la voiture que j'ai vendue' = the car I sold — feminine singular).

When do I use 'j'ai vendu' instead of 'je vendais'?

Use 'j'ai vendu' for a specific completed sale: 'hier, j'ai vendu ma voiture' (yesterday, I sold my car). Use 'je vendais' for habitual past selling: 'chaque été, je vendais des glaces' (every summer, I used to sell ice cream).