restés

Restés is the masculine plural past participle of the French verb rester, meaning to stay or to remain. It is used in compound tenses with the auxiliary être and agrees in gender and number with the subject: ils sont restés, elles sont restées. In addition to its verbal use, restés can function as an adjective describing something that remains or is left behind, generally in the masculine plural: les éléments restés à l’écart.

Etymology and form: rester derives from Latin restāre; the participle is formed in French by adding the standard -é ending to the verb stem for masculine forms, with distinct feminine and plural variations (resté, restée, restés, restées). The form restés is not a separate word with its own meaning, but a grammatical variant of rester’s participle.

Usage notes: The main distinction is between verb use and adjectival use. As a verb, restés indicates that subjects stayed behind or remained, e.g., Ils sont restés au domicile. Agreement follows standard rules: masculine plural restés, feminine plural restantes. As an adjective, it can describe remnants or those who stayed in a place, though in many contexts authors prefer restants or les personnes qui sont restées. The noun form les restes — meaning leftovers or remains — is a different word and bears no accent.

Examples:

- Ils sont restés jusqu’à la fin de la réunion.

- Les participants restés sur place ont été pris en charge.

- Les objets restés dans l’appartement ont été retrouvés.

See also: rester, participe passé, accord du participe passé, restes (noun).