The past participle of the French verb sortir is sorti.
Understanding "Sortir" in French
Sortir is a common and versatile French verb that generally means "to go out," "to leave," or "to exit." It can be used in various contexts, such as leaving a building, going out for an activity, or even an object coming out of something.
Auxiliary Verb for "Sortir"
A crucial aspect of using sortir in compound tenses, such as the passé composé (past simple/perfect), is that it utilizes the auxiliary verb être (to be), rather than the more common avoir (to have). This places sortir in a group of verbs, often referred to as "verbs of movement and state," which includes verbs like aller (to go), venir (to come), arriver (to arrive), and partir (to leave).
Agreement Rules for "Sorti"
Because sortir uses être as its auxiliary verb, its past participle, sorti, must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb. This means that the ending of the past participle will change depending on whether the subject is masculine or feminine, and singular or plural.
Here's a breakdown of the agreement rules:
| Subject Gender/Number | Past Participle | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | sorti | Il est sorti. | He went out. |
| Feminine Singular | sortie | Elle est sortie. | She went out. |
| Masculine Plural | sortis | Ils sont sortis. | They (masculine) went out. |
| Feminine Plural | sorties | Elles sont sorties. | They (feminine) went out. |
| Mixed Gender Plural | sortis | Nous sommes sortis. | We went out (if mixed or all male). |
Practical Examples
Understanding these agreement rules is essential for correctly conjugating sortir in past tenses. Here are a few more examples:
- Single Subject:
- Mon frère est sorti avec ses amis. (My brother went out with his friends.)
- Ma sœur est sortie de la maison en courant. (My sister ran out of the house.)
- Plural Subject:
- Les garçons sont sortis du cinéma. (The boys came out of the cinema.)
- Les filles sont sorties tard hier soir. (The girls went out late last night.)
- Nous sommes sortis pour dîner ensemble. (We went out to dinner together – can be masculine or mixed group.)
- Vous êtes sorti(e)s de la réunion ? (Did you [plural or formal singular] leave the meeting?)
For more comprehensive conjugation information, including other tenses, you can consult resources such as the Sortir Conjugation Guide.
