Learn French: Elle a trouvé l'oiseau vivant.

Elle a trouvé l'oiseau vivant.

She found the bird alive.

Breakdown of Elle a trouvé l'oiseau vivant.

Questions & Answers about Elle a trouvé l'oiseau vivant.

Why does vivant end in -ant here?

Vivant is the present participle of the verb vivre (to live). In this sentence, it is being used as a verbal adjective meaning "alive" to describe the state of the bird.

Does vivant change if the noun is feminine or plural?

Yes! Because it is acting as an adjective here, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. If she had found a mouse instead, you would say la souris vivante. For multiple birds, it would be les oiseaux vivants.

How can I tell when an -ant word is an adjective versus a verb?

If the word describes an action the noun is doing (like "the bird eating a worm"), it acts as a verb and its spelling never changes. If it describes a characteristic or state of being (like being "alive"), it acts as an adjective and must agree with the noun in French.

As a quick review, why doesn't the past participle trouvé change to match anything?

In the passé composé with the helping verb avoir, the past participle only agrees with the direct object if that object comes before the verb. Since the direct object (l'oiseau) comes after a trouvé, the past participle stays exactly as it is.