The passé simple is a verb tense used to express completed actions in the past, primarily used in written narration and literature.
Formation
The formation of the passé simple varies depending on the group to which the verb belongs.
First Group (Verbs ending in -er)
The passé simple of first-group verbs is formed by replacing the -er ending with -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent for the singular and plural persons respectively.
- Aimer: j'aimai, tu aimas, il aima, nous aimâmes, vous aimâtes, ils aimèrent.
Second Group (Verbs ending in -ir)
Second-group verbs form the passé simple by adding -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent to the verb stem.
- Finir: je finis, tu finis, il finit, nous finîmes, vous finîtes, ils finirent.
Third Group (Irregular verbs)
Third-group verbs have irregular forms in the passé simple.
Conjugation of "Faire"
- Je fis, tu fis, il fit, nous fîmes, vous fîtes, ils firent.
Conjugation of "Aller"
- J’allai, tu allas, il alla, nous allâmes, vous allâtes, ils allèrent.
Examples
- L'année dernière, je partis en France. (Last year, I left for France.)
- Il ouvrit la porte et entra. (He opened the door and entered.)
- Nous vécûmes des moments inoubliables. (We lived unforgettable moments.)
- Les chevaliers s'avancèrent vers le château. (The knights advanced towards the castle.)
- Elle réussit à s'échapper discrètement. (She managed to escape discreetly.)
Usage
Although its use is mainly literary, the passé simple is essential for understanding historical texts, novels, and classic works of French literature.