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Most verbs use either avoir or être as the auxiliary verb in Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) (or other compound tense), but sortir uses both, depending on its grammatical usage* and what it means in the sentence.
*Grammaphile's Corner : the technical grammatical distinction between these cases is actually whether the verb is used in a transitive or intransitive manner.
- The transitive version (the version with a direct object) uses avoir.
- The intransitive version (lacking a direct object), uses être.
- The transitive version (the version with a direct object) uses avoir.
- The intransitive version (lacking a direct object), uses être.
Using avoir or être with the verb SORTIR in Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) in French
être + sorti
= to go out
= to come out
= to be released (movie)
Note that in each case where être is the auxilliary, the verb sortir is either followed by a preposition (en, sur, dans, à, par, chez etc.) or has no object after it (to be released --).
In these cases sortir is usually about going or coming out [of somewhere], or to be released (for a movie).
In these cases sortir is usually about going or coming out [of somewhere], or to be released (for a movie).
avoir + sorti [quelque chose]
= to take out [something]
When sortir is followed immediately by a noun (as opposed to a preposition), it uses avoir as the auxiliary, like most verbs.
Here is the list of all "two-auxiliary" verbs in compound tenses:
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