Breakdown of La mélodie que j'ai entendu jouer par ce violoniste est célèbre.
je
I
être
to be
avoir
to have
ce
this (before a noun)
jouer
to play
entendre
to hear
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
par
by, through / out of (motive)
que
that (introducing a clause)
célèbre
famous
la mélodie
the melody
le violoniste
the violinist (m)
Questions & Answers about La mélodie que j'ai entendu jouer par ce violoniste est célèbre.
Why doesn't entendu agree with La mélodie (feminine singular) since it is a preceding direct object?
Normally, a past participle used with avoir agrees with a preceding direct object. However, there is a special exception for verbs of perception (like entendre, voir, or sentir) followed by an infinitive. The past participle only agrees if the preceding direct object is the one performing the action of the infinitive. Since the melody isn't playing itself—it is being played—entendu does not agree and remains invariable.
Can you give an example of when entendu would agree with the object in a similar sentence?
Yes! If the preceding direct object performs the action of the infinitive, you do make the agreement. For example: La violoniste que j'ai entendue jouer cette mélodie... (The female violinist that I heard playing this melody...). Because the violinist is the one actively doing the playing, entendue agrees with her and takes an -e.
In English we say 'heard played', so why does French use the active infinitive jouer instead of a past participle?
In French, when a verb of perception is followed by an observed action, that second action is almost always put in the infinitive. This structural rule applies even if the underlying meaning is passive. To express 'heard played', you cannot use a past participle; you must use the infinitive jouer.
Why is the preposition par used before ce violoniste?
The preposition par introduces the agent of an action (translating to 'by'). Even though French uses the active infinitive jouer, the logical meaning of this specific clause is passive (the melody is being played by the violinist). Therefore, par is the correct preposition to introduce the person doing the playing.
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