Could you please explain why it is:
"j'ai descendu les escaliers deux fois"
when "descendre" is an "être verb"?
Also could you please translate the following sentence?
"vous êtes-vous écrit tout les jours?"
Does it mean:
"have you written yourself(each other) every day?"
Thank you
Most "re" verbs have their endings changed to "u" for the Passe Compose. The translation is "Do you write everyday?"
I hope I've helped...
Thank you, but what I meant is why is it
"j'ai descendu" and not "je suis descendu" (since descendre is an être verb).
And for the second sentence: why wouldn't "do you write everyday" - as you suggest that the translation is - be translated: écrivez-vous chaque jour?
why would it be: vous êtes-vous écrit touts les jours??????????????
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Of the verbs that usually take être in the passé composé, some of them may be used "transitively" (with a direct object). In that case, they are conjugated with avoir.
Il a rentré sa voiture au garage. = He put his car back into the garage.
Elle a sorti le rôti du four. = She took the roast out of the oven.
J'ai monté l'escalier à toute vitesse. = I went up the stairway as fast as possible.
N'ont-ils pas encore descendu les bagages? = Haven't they brought down the luggage yet?
Your sentence: "J'ai descendu les escaliers deux fois." = I went down the stairs twice.
The other sentence "Vous êtes-vous écrit tous (note spelling error) les jours?" = Did you write (Have you written) to yourself every day? (if "vous" is singular and form al) OR "Did you write (Have you written) to each other every day?" (the "vous" is plural = you-all) It is more likely to be the 2nd translation.
Mme
That's pretty much the best explanation- that it is an etre verb. It's like math. It just is. There's no good explanation for it, at least none I know of. I'm slightly confused on the last part. I've never seen a sentence or question with "vous etes-vous"...
On second thought, don't listen to me. Madame is right. I'm only in French 2 after all. (I thought I knew what I was talking about)=]
Since you BOTH post as "Anonymous" I'm not sure whom to answer! Hopefully it's all clear to both of you now?
Mme
It's clear to me (i'm the second anonymous- i didn't ask the original question)
Why is it "Vous êtes-vous écrit tous (check spelling!) les jours?
Remember there are 4 ways to ask a question in French. This is a verb used prenominally.
Straight word order: Vous vous êtes écrit tous les jours. (declarative sentence)
Now as a question:
1. Vous vous êtes écrit tous les jours?
2. Vous vous êtes écrit tous les jours, non?
3. Est-ce que vous vous êtes écrit tous les jours?
4. (with inversion so the indirect-object is before the verb but the subject (vous) is inverted with the verb) Vous êtes-vous écrit tous les jours?
Although the 4th way seems the most difficult way to ask a question, it is probably used more than the other 3 ways.
Clear?
Mme
Madame, I was taking an internet quiz; it was about être verbs and this was one of the questions I needed to fill in either the correct être or avoir forms.
It sounds like a GOOD quiz! :)
Mme