Among -DRE verbs, verbs in -AINDRE, -EINDRE and -OINDRE follow a different pattern in Le Passé Composé.
Look at these three examples:
| CRAINDRE (to fear) | PEINDRE (to paint) | JOINDRE (to join) |
| j'ai craint | j'ai peint | j'ai joint |
| tu as craint | tu as peint | tu as joint |
| il/elle/on a craint | il/elle/on a peint | il/elle/on a joint |
| nous avons craint | nous avons peint | nous avons joint |
| vous avez craint | vous avez peint | vous avez joint |
| ils/elles ont craint | ils/elles ont peint | ils/elles ont joint |
Note that these verbs all take avoir as an auxiliary.
To form their past participles, remove -DRE and add -t.
Other verbs that follow this pattern:
rejoindre (to meet up / to join) - rejoint
contraindre (to force) - contraint
se plaindre (to complain) - plaint
-> Note that here it's a reflexive verb and therefore needs être as the auxiliary - See Conjugate reflexive verbs (+être) in Le Passé Composé (conversational past) ]
éteindre (to turn off / to switch off) - éteint
dépeindre (to depict) - dépeint
atteindre (to reach) - atteint
feindre (to feign / to pretend) - feint
geindre (to whimper / to whinge) - geint
Listen to these examples:
J'ai rejoint Martha au cinéma hier soir.
I met up with Martha at the cinema yesterday evening.
Tu as toujours craint l'obscurité.
You've always feared darkness.
Jacob a repeint toute la cuisine le weekend dernier.
Jacob repainted the whole kitchen last weekend.
Nous avons éteint la lumière avant de partir.
We turned the light off before leaving.
Vous avez atteint votre but.
You reached your goal.
Ils ont feint de s'évanouir.
They pretended to faint.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Jacob a repeint toute la cuisine le weekend dernier.
Jacob repainted the whole kitchen last weekend.
Tu as toujours craint l'obscurité.
You've always feared darkness.
Ils ont feint de s'évanouir.
They pretended to faint.
J'ai rejoint Martha au cinéma hier soir.
I met up with Martha at the cinema yesterday evening.
Vous avez atteint votre but.
You reached your goal.
Nous avons éteint la lumière avant de partir.
We turned the light off before leaving.
