êtreavoir

êtreavoir is a term used in linguistic discussions, particularly concerning the French language, to describe the auxiliary verbs avoir and être. These two verbs are fundamental to the formation of compound tenses in French, such as the passé composé. The choice between using avoir or être as the auxiliary verb for a particular verb is a complex grammatical rule that depends on the main verb's transitivity and its meaning.

Generally, most verbs in French use avoir as their auxiliary. For instance, the past participle of the verb manger (to eat) is mangé, and in the passé composé, it is formed with avoir: j'ai mangé (I ate). However, a specific set of verbs, primarily verbs of motion and state, require être. Examples include aller (to go), venir (to come), partir (to leave), arriver (to arrive), naître (to be born), mourir (to die), and rester (to stay). When these verbs are used in compound tenses, their past participles agree in gender and number with the subject. For example, elle est allée (she went) and ils sont arrivés (they arrived).

The use of être as an auxiliary is also extended to all pronominal verbs, which are verbs that are accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. Regardless of whether the pronominal verb would normally take avoir or être, it always uses être in compound tenses. For example, se laver (to wash oneself) becomes je me suis lavé (I washed myself), and s'enfuir (to flee) becomes elle s'est enfuie (she fled). Understanding the distinction between avoir and être auxiliaries is crucial for correct conjugation and sentence construction in French.