Passé simple

C1

Past Simple

The Passé simple is a literary past tense used primarily in formal writing and literature to describe brief and completed actions in the past. It is almost not used in spoken French.

• Elle voulue changer le monde.
  • She wanted to change the world.
• Il sut la vérité.
  • He learned the truth.
• Ils furent très heureux ce jour-là. Et ils vécurent heureux.
  • They were very happy that day. And they lived an happy life. The passé simple is mostly found in written texts (novels, historical accounts) and is not used in everyday conversation, where the passé composé is preferred. Irregular verbs often share stems with other past tenses, but their forms in the passé simple are unique and must be memorized.

1st and 2nd Group Verbs

1st group (-er verbs): Use the infinitive stem (parler → parl-; aimer → aim-). 2nd group (-ir verbs): Use the infinitive stem (finir → fin-).

Special cases

• Verbs in -cer (commencer): Use ç before endings except at 3rd person plural (commencèrent).
• Verbs in -ger (manger): Add e before endings except at 3rd person plural (mangèrent).

1st Group Conjugation Table

2nd Group Conjugation Table

3rd Group Verbs

3rd group verbs (including -re, -ir, and irregular verbs): Stems are often irregular and must be memorized. Most common ending patterns include:

• -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent (prendre, venir)
• -us, -us, -ut, -ûmes, -ûtes, -urent (savoir, avoir)
• -ins, -ins, -int, -înmes, -întes, -inrent (tenir)
• -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent (aller)