Learn French: Deux passagers ont été blessés.

Deux passagers ont été blessés.

Two passengers were injured.

Breakdown of Deux passagers ont été blessés.

Questions & Answers about Deux passagers ont été blessés.

Why is it ont été blessés instead of sont blessés?

sont blessés means they are injured right now in the present tense. To say they were injured in the past, French uses the passé composé of the passive voice. You put the verb être into the past tense (ont été) and add the past participle blessés.

Why does blessés end with an s here?

Because this sentence uses the verb être (to be), the past participle blessés must agree with the subject. Since the subject Deux passagers is masculine plural, we add an s to the end.

Is the t at the end of ont pronounced?

Yes, there is a required liaison between the auxiliary verb ont and the past participle été. You pronounce the t to link the words together smoothly.

Does blessé only refer to physical injuries?

While it means physically injured in this context, blessé is also frequently used to describe someone who is emotionally hurt or offended.