Passé Simple
In this lesson, you'll learn the passé simple tense of French verbs. The passé simple is not used in spoken French, but it is often used in literature, so it is good to at least be familiar with it.
Flashcards are included in the lesson to help you learn how to conjugate French verbs for the passé simple.
Introduction
The passé simple is a French verb tense used to indicate that a specific action happened in the past. This tense is primarily used in written French, especially novels. In spoken French this is replaced by the passé composé. You shouldn't use passé simple when speaking or in casual writing, but if you plan to read French novels or formal writing, it is helpful to be familiar with it.
Passé Simple Conjugation
Regular -er verbs
| parler | |
|---|---|
| je | parlai |
| tu | parlas |
| il, elle, on | parla |
| nous | parlâmes |
| vous | parlâtes |
| ils, elles | parlèrent |
Regular -ir and -re verbs
| partir | |
|---|---|
| je | partis |
| tu | partis |
| il, elle, on | partit |
| nous | partîmes |
| vous | partîtes |
| ils, elles | partirent |
Être (To Be)
| je | fus |
| tu | fus |
| il, elle, on | fut |
| nous | fûmes |
| vous | fûtes |
| ils, elles | fures |
Avoir (To Have)
| j' | eus |
| tu | eus |
| il, elle, on | eut |
| nous | eûmes |
| vous | eûtes |
| ils, elles | eures |
Examples
| «Qu'as-tu donc ?», demanda-t-il. | "What have you got?", he asked. |
| La nuit se passa sans que le moindre bruit se fît entendre. | The night passed without any sound being heard. |
| Edmond sentit se dresser ses cheveux sur sa tête, et il recula sur ses genoux. | Edmond felt his hair stand on his head, and he drew back on his knees. |
| Ils se regardèrent les uns les autres d'un air effaré. | They looked at one another with a startled look. |
| Il entra dans la pièce et alluma la lampe. | He entered the room and lit the lamp. |
| Elle prit la lettre, la lut et la jeta à terre. | She took the letter, read it, and threw it to the floor. |
| « Lorsqu’elle ouvrit la porte, un parfum de fleurs d’oranger s’échappa, enveloppant la pièce d’une douceur inattendue. Chaque rayon de soleil semblait danser sur les murs, révélant une ville dont l’âme ancienne murmurait encore dans les pierres usées. » | “When she opened the door, a scent of orange blossoms escaped, enveloping the room in an unexpected sweetness. Every ray of sunlight seemed to dance on the walls, revealing a city whose ancient soul still whispered through the worn stones.” |
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Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the passé simple of French verbs.