Would you rather . . . ?

Have a third arm.
Have hair down to your toes.
Have no nose.

View Results

Perfect Participles

The perfect participle is formed by using the present participle of the appropriate helping verb ( avoir = ayant, être = étant) and then adding the past participle. The perfect participle shows that one action was completed before another action took place:

  • Ayant fini mon travail, je me suis détendue.

    Having finished my work, I relaxed.

  • Étant parti de bonne heure, il est arrivé à l'heure.

    Having left early, he arrived on time.

Cite this article

cover
Master Your Spanish Skills!
Get Help with Spanish Now!
Got a Question?
Cliff is in the know on lots of subjects.
Ask Cliff — His mailbox is open for business!