Pas d'accord : COD objet de l'infinitif

Let us look at how sentences are built. Usually, you have a helper verb like avoir. Then you have a past participle like vu. If the thing you saw is feminine, you add an e. For example, la voiture que j'ai vue. But what if there is another verb? Imagine you say, 'the car I saw being repaired.' In French, that is la voiture que j'ai vu réparer. Notice there is no extra e on vu. Why is that? It is because the car did not repair anything. The car was the object of the repair. The second verb, the infinitive, 'claims' the object. Because the infinitive owns the object, the first verb stays neutral. It is like the car passed through the first verb. It stopped at the second verb instead. If the object is the 'receiver,' keep it simple.

1. 1Start with your subject like je or tu.
2. 2Add the correct form of the helper verb avoir.
3. 3Put the past participle of a perception verb. Common ones are vu, entendu, or fait.
4. 4Add an infinitive verb like manger, chanter, or construire.
5. 5Place your direct object pronoun or que before the verbs.
6. 6Check if the object is doing the second action.
7. 7If the object is receiving the action, do NOT add e or s.
8. 8Keep the past participle in its basic masculine singular form.

Use this rule when you talk about things happening to objects. It is very common in daily life. Imagine you are at a bakery. You see bread being baked. You would say le pain que j'ai vu cuire. The bread is not doing the cooking. It is being cooked! You also use this with the verb faire. In fact, fait followed by an infinitive NEVER changes. It is the easiest rule in French. La maison que j'ai fait construire is a perfect example. The house did not build itself. You had someone else build it. Use this when describing movies you watched. Or songs you heard being played. It makes your French sound very professional and natural. You will sound like a native speaker who knows the secrets.

Do not use this 'no agreement' rule if the object acts. If the object is the one doing the second verb, you agree. Think about seeing a girl singing. She is doing the singing! In that case, you would write la fille que j'ai entendue chanter. Here, we add the e because she is the subject. The 'no agreement' rule is only for 'receivers.' If you see a sandwich being eaten, it is a receiver. If you see a boy eating a sandwich, he is a doer. Focus on the 'receiver' status to stay safe. If you are unsure, check if the object 'does' the verb. If the answer is 'no,' then do not add extra letters. It is like a red light for your e and s. Just stop and keep the verb basic.

Most people try to agree every single time. It is a very polite mistake to make! You want to follow the general rule of avoir. You see a feminine word and you want to add an e. For example, you write la lettre que j'ai écrite. That is correct. But then you write la lettre que j'ai écrite envoyer. This is wrong! The extra e on écrite should not be there. It should be la lettre que j'ai écrit envoyer. The infinitive envoyer changes everything. Another mistake is forgetting that fait is special. People often try to write faites. But fait plus an infinitive is always fait. It never, ever changes. It is as steady as a rock. Do not let the feminine object trick you here. Stay strong and keep it masculine.

Let us compare two very similar sentences. First: Les enfants que j'ai vus jouer. Here, the kids are playing. They are the 'doers.' So, we add an s to vus. Second: Les chansons que j'ai vu jouer. Here, the songs are being played. They are 'receivers.' The songs do not have hands to play instruments! So, we do not add an s to vu. It stays exactly as it is. It is a small difference in spelling but a big logic jump. One is about an active subject. The other is about a passive object. Think of it like a movie. Is the actor acting? Or is the prop being used? Actors get agreement. Props usually do not when an infinitive follows. It is all about who is in charge of the action.