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DR MRS VANDERTRAMP
DR MRS VANDERTRAMP is a mnemonic for the French verbs that form the passé composé with être instead of avoir. Each letter stands for one verb:
Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Retourner, Tomber, Rentrer, Arriver, Mourir, Partir.
The mnemonic answers the helper-verb question taught on the passé composé page: most verbs take avoir, this small family takes être — and with être, the participle agrees with the subject.
In short
- Each letter of DR MRS VANDERTRAMP is one verb that takes être in the passé composé.
- They all describe movement or a change of state, and their participle agrees with the subject.
- Caveat: with a direct object,
monter,descendre,sortir,rentrer,retournerandpasserswitch to avoir.
être + participleavoir + participledirect object· hover a highlighted word for its label
The list, letter by letter
Sixteen verbs hide in the name. Compounds built on them — repartir, redescendre, redevenir — follow their family and take être too.
| Letter | Verb | Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | devenir | devenu | to become |
| R | revenir | revenu | to come back |
| M | monter | monté | to go up |
| R | rester | resté | to stay |
| S | sortir | sorti | to go out |
| V | venir | venu | to come |
| A | aller | allé | to go |
| N | naître | né | to be born |
| D | descendre | descendu | to go down |
| E | entrer | entré | to enter |
| R | retourner | retourné | to go back |
| T | tomber | tombé | to fall |
| R | rentrer | rentré | to come home |
| A | arriver | arrivé | to arrive |
| M | mourir | mort | to die |
| P | partir | parti | to leave |
The train left on time, for once.
— Partir — the P of the mnemonic — takes être.
Their daughter was born in January.
— Naître → née; the participle agrees with fille.
The real rule behind the letters
The list is not random. Every verb in it describes the subject itself moving or changing state — going up or down, in or out, being born, dying, staying, becoming. None of them normally takes a direct object: nothing receives the action, the subject simply ends up somewhere (or something) else.
So instead of reciting letters, you can ask one question: does this verb describe the subject’s own movement or change of state, with no object? If yes, the helper is être. Reflexive verbs (se lever, se coucher) also take être, but they form their own group — they are covered with the reflexive verbs topic, not by this mnemonic.
The participle agrees with the subject
As with every être verb in the passé composé, the participle behaves like an adjective and agrees with the subject in gender and number.
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| il | est tombé |
| elle | est tombée |
| ils | sont tombés |
| elles | sont tombées |
They went out despite the rain.
— Feminine plural subject → sorties.
My neighbors came back from vacation yesterday.
— Masculine plural subject → rentrés.
The caveat: with a direct object, switch to avoir
Five verbs from the family — monter, descendre, sortir, rentrer, retourner — plus passer, often added as a seventeenth verb, can take a direct object: you can take something up, take something out, spend time. The moment they have an object, they stop describing the subject’s own movement, and the helper switches to avoir.
Marie went up to the third floor.
— No object: Marie herself moves → être.
Marie took the suitcases upstairs.
— Les valises receives the action → avoir, no agreement.
He went out around eight in the evening.
— No object → être.
He took out the trash.
— Les poubelles is the object → avoir.
Common mistakes
✗Nous avons parti tôt ce matin.
✓Nous sommes partis tôt ce matin.
Partir is the P of the mnemonic: its helper is être, and the participle agrees with nous.
✗Elle est retourné au bureau après le déjeuner.
✓Elle est retournée au bureau après le déjeuner.
With être, the participle agrees with the subject — elle needs the feminine -e.
✗Il a tombé dans l’escalier.
✓Il est tombé dans l’escalier.
Tomber describes the subject itself falling and can never take a direct object, so it always keeps être.
✗Elle est passé son permis la semaine dernière.
✓Elle a passé son permis la semaine dernière.
With a direct object (son permis), passer switches to avoir — the être rule only applies when there is no object.
Frequently asked questions
What does DR MRS VANDERTRAMP stand for?
Devenir, Revenir, Monter, Rester, Sortir, Venir, Aller, Naître, Descendre, Entrer, Retourner, Tomber, Rentrer, Arriver, Mourir, Partir — the sixteen French verbs that take être in the passé composé.
Do DR MRS VANDERTRAMP verbs always take être?
No. Monter, descendre, sortir, rentrer, retourner and passer switch to avoir when they have a direct object: elle est sortie (she went out) but elle a sorti la voiture (she took the car out).
Are reflexive verbs part of DR MRS VANDERTRAMP?
No. Reflexive verbs (se lever, se coucher) also take être in the passé composé, but they form a separate group with its own rules, covered on the reflexive verbs page.
Memory tip
Think of the list as one-way trips. If the subject itself moves or changes state — and nothing else receives the action — the helper is être.
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