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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 entrer 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 ENTRER in Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) in French
être + entré [en, dans, etc.]
= to go/come/get into
= to enter
Je suis entré dans le salon sans que tu me voies.I walked into the living-room without you seeing me.
Notice that in each case where être is the auxilliary, the verb entrer is followed by a preposition (en, sur, dans, à etc.).
So in these cases entrer is usually about getting into, coming into, going into or entering.
So in these cases entrer is usually about getting into, coming into, going into or entering.
avoir + entré [quelque chose] dans [quelque chose]
= to enter/put [something] into [something]
When entrer is followed immediately by a noun (as opposed to a preposition), it uses avoir as the auxiliary, like most verbs.
It can be very tricky to get the distinction here if you think in terms of what entrer means in English (English verbs are very often 'prepositional', meaning we say things like to go into a room as well as enter a room which are equivalent in meaning but grammatically very different - our verbs very often have prepositions where they don't in French!).
Here is the list of all "two-auxiliary" verbs in compound tenses:
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Examples and resources
When she entered the room, all eyes turned towards her.
