Past participle agreement with perception verbs

Perception Verbs and the Passé Composé

You already know that in the passé composé, the past participle agrees with a preceding direct object. However, there is a special exception for verbs of perception—like voir (to see), entendre (to hear), and regarder (to watch)—when they are followed by an infinitive.

To decide if the past participle should agree, you must ask one question: Is the preceding direct object performing the action of the infinitive, or receiving it?

When the Object Performs the Action (Agreement)

If the preceding direct object is the one doing the action of the infinitive, the standard rule applies: the past participle of the perception verb agrees in gender and number with that object.

In these examples, the mimes are walking, the boys are juggling, and the puppets are dancing. Because the objects are performing the infinitives (marcher, jongler, danser), the past participles (vus, vues) agree with them.

When the Object Receives the Action (No Agreement)

If the preceding direct object is receiving the action of the infinitive (giving it a passive meaning), the past participle is invariable. It stays in its default, masculine singular form, no matter the gender or number of the object.

Look closely at the logic here. The melody is being played, the drums are being beaten, and the flame is being lit. Because the objects are not performing the infinitives (jouer, battre, allumer), the past participles (entendu, vu) do not agree.

Putting It All Together

When describing a busy scene with street performers, you might use both rules in the same breath. Just check whether the noun placed before the verb is doing the action or receiving the action!