The passé simple (French pronunciation: [pase sɛ̃pl], simple past, preterite, or past historic), also called the passé défini (IPA: [pase defini], definite past), is the literary equivalent of the passé composé in the French language, used predominantly in formal writing (including history and literature) and formal speech. As with other preterites, it is used when the action has a definite beginning and end and has already been completed. In writing it is most often used for narration.
Even though the passé simple is a common French verb tense, used even in books for very young French children, it is usually not taught to foreigners until advanced French classes. The passé simple is most often formed by dropping the last two letters off the infinitive form of the verb and adding the appropriate ending.
The three main classes of French regular verbs (-er, -ir, -re) are conjugated in the passé simple tense in the following way:
chercher
je cherchai
tu cherchas
il/elle chercha
nous cherchâmes
vous cherchâtes
ils/elles cherchèrent
finir
je finis
tu finis
il/elle finit
nous finîmes
vous finîtes
ils/elles finirent
rendre
je rendis
tu rendis
il/elle rendit
nous rendîmes
vous rendîtes
ils/elles rendirent
Several common irregular verbs:
faire
je fis
tu fis
il/elle fit
nous fîmes
vous fîtes
ils/elles firent
venir
je vins
tu vins
il/elle vint
nous vînmes
vous vîntes
ils/elles vinrent
être
je fus
tu fus
il/elle fut
nous fûmes
vous fûtes
ils/elles furent
avoir
j'eus [ʒy]
tu eus [ty.y]
il/elle eut [i.ly]
nous eûmes [nu.zym]
vous eûtes [vu.zyt]
ils/elles eurent [il.zyʁ]
Many other irregular verbs are easily recognized because the passé simple often resembles the past participle. For example, il courut (he ran) is from courir, for which the past participle is couru. Some, however, are totally irregular. Naitre (to be born) has a past participle né and yet the passé simple is (for example) je naquis ... (I was born. ... )
an event or action, of long or short duration, that is complete, and over, but not necessarily remote in time:
Le Général de Gaulle vécut 80 ans.
General de Gaulle lived for eighty years.
En 1991, l'équipe de France de tennis gagna la coupe Davis.
In 1991, the French team won the Davis Cup.
a series of completed events, perceived as points in time:
... l'image fut bonne ... cela parut pour son entourage l'essentiel ... on sentit tout de même ... son épouse lui fit signe de ... ... the impression was good ... that seemed to be the essential thing for his entourage ... they felt nevertheless ... his wife signalled to him to ...
in combination with and in contrast to the imperfect tense, which describes the background of the event or series of events:
Puis, il tourna le robinet de l'évier, se lava les mains, s'essuya au linge accroché sous le grêle tuyau ... Et elle guettait ses moindres gestes ... Then he turned on the tap, washed his hands, dried them on the towel hanging under the thin pipe. ... And she watched his slightest movement ...
Modern usage
While literary and refined language still uses the passé simple, the standard ordinary spoken language has renounced passé simple for the passé composé, which means that in spoken French, there is no longer a nuance between:
Passé composé« Je suis arrivé. » ("I have arrived." I have come to town. I may have just arrived.)
and
Passé simple « J'arrivai. » ("I arrived." I came to town, but it is possible that I am not still here.)
Local usage
In modern spoken French, the passé simple has practically disappeared, but localised French has its own variations, like this sample from Langue d'oïl in the North of France where "mangea" is replaced by "mangit":
« Malheureux comme le chien à Brisquet, qui n'allit qu'une fois au bois, et que le loup le mangit. »[2] Unfortunate like Brisquet's dog, who went into the woods only once and whom the wolf ate.
In Canada, the passé simple continues to be used, at least more than in France. It has retained its use due to interactions with English, which has equivalents to both the "passé composé" and the "passé simple".[citation needed]
In modern spoken French, the passé simple is used occasionally as a joke to make the sentence sound either snobbier or more refined, especially after the first or second person plural, which are rarely if ever used in contemporary French, even in writing.
References
^Lang, M. and Perez I. (2004). Modern French Grammar. Second Edition. Routledge. ISBN0-203-39725-8.
^Nodier, Charles. Histoire du chien de Brisquet (in French).
February 20, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Passe simple news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The passe simple French pronunciation pase sɛ pl simple past preterite or past historic also called the passe defini IPA pase defini definite past is the literary equivalent of the passe compose in the French language used predominantly in formal writing including history and literature and formal speech As with other preterites it is used when the action has a definite beginning and end and has already been completed In writing it is most often used for narration Contents 1 Constructing the passe simple 2 How the passe simple is used 3 Modern usage 4 Local usage 5 ReferencesConstructing the passe simple EditEven though the passe simple is a common French verb tense used even in books for very young French children it is usually not taught to foreigners until advanced French classes The passe simple is most often formed by dropping the last two letters off the infinitive form of the verb and adding the appropriate ending The three main classes of French regular verbs er ir re are conjugated in the passe simple tense in the following way chercher je cherchai tu cherchas il elle chercha nous cherchames vous cherchates ils elles chercherentfinir je finis tu finis il elle finit nous finimes vous finites ils elles finirentrendre je rendis tu rendis il elle rendit nous rendimes vous rendites ils elles rendirentSeveral common irregular verbs faire je fis tu fis il elle fit nous fimes vous fites ils elles firentvenir je vins tu vins il elle vint nous vinmes vous vintes ils elles vinrentetre je fus tu fus il elle fut nous fumes vous futes ils elles furentavoir j eus ʒy tu eus ty y il elle eut i ly nous eumes nu zym vous eutes vu zyt ils elles eurent il zyʁ Many other irregular verbs are easily recognized because the passe simple often resembles the past participle For example il courut he ran is from courir for which the past participle is couru Some however are totally irregular Naitre to be born has a past participle ne and yet the passe simple is for example je naquis I was born How the passe simple is used EditThe passe simple is used to express 1 an event or action of long or short duration that is complete and over but not necessarily remote in time Le General de Gaulle vecut 80 ans General de Gaulle lived for eighty years En 1991 l equipe de France de tennis gagna la coupe Davis In 1991 the French team won the Davis Cup a series of completed events perceived as points in time l image fut bonne cela parut pour son entourage l essentiel on sentit tout de meme son epouse lui fit signe de the impression was good that seemed to be the essential thing for his entourage they felt nevertheless his wife signalled to him to in combination with and in contrast to the imperfect tense which describes the background of the event or series of events Puis il tourna le robinet de l evier se lava les mains s essuya au linge accroche sous le grele tuyau Et elle guettait ses moindres gestes Then he turned on the tap washed his hands dried them on the towel hanging under the thin pipe And she watched his slightest movement Modern usage EditWhile literary and refined language still uses the passe simple the standard ordinary spoken language has renounced passe simple for the passe compose which means that in spoken French there is no longer a nuance between Passe compose Je suis arrive I have arrived I have come to town I may have just arrived andPasse simple J arrivai I arrived I came to town but it is possible that I am not still here Local usage EditIn modern spoken French the passe simple has practically disappeared but localised French has its own variations like this sample from Langue d oil in the North of France where mangea is replaced by mangit Malheureux comme le chien a Brisquet qui n allit qu une fois au bois et que le loup le mangit 2 Unfortunate like Brisquet s dog who went into the woods only once and whom the wolf ate In Canada the passe simple continues to be used at least more than in France It has retained its use due to interactions with English which has equivalents to both the passe compose and the passe simple citation needed In modern spoken French the passe simple is used occasionally as a joke to make the sentence sound either snobbier or more refined especially after the first or second person plural which are rarely if ever used in contemporary French even in writing References Edit Lang M and Perez I 2004 Modern French Grammar Second Edition Routledge ISBN 0 203 39725 8 Nodier Charles Histoire du chien de Brisquet in French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Passe simple amp oldid 1136532786, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
