Passé simple
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Le passé simple (literally the simple past or preterite, but also called the passé défini in French) is the literary equivalent of the passé composé in the French language, and used in formal writing (including history and literature), journalism, and formal speech. As in other preterite tenses, 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. While literary and refined language still hangs on to the passé simple, the spoken language has simply renounced passé simple for the passe composé, which means that in French, there is no longer a nuance between:
«... quand je suis arrivé. » ("I have arrived." I have come to town. I may have just arrived.)
«...quand j'arrivai. » ("I arrived." I came to town, but it is possible that I am not still here.)
The difference (regarding written language) is subtle. The passé simple is divorced from the present and has definitely been completed, while the passé composé is still connected to the present and may even still be happening.
[edit] Constructing the Passé Simple
Many students of French are frustrated to find that even books for elementary aged children are written in the passé simple, even though it is only taught in advanced classes. Luckily it can be picked up and understood quite easily. The passé simple is formed by dropping the last two letters off the infinitive of the verb and adding the appropriate ending. Most verbs are regular in the passé simple:
aimer—to like
j'aimai
tu aimas
il aima
nous aimâmes
vous aimâtes
ils aimèrent
dormir—to sleep
je dormis
tu dormis
il dormit
nous dormîmes
vous dormîtes
ils dormirent
rendre—to give back
je rendis
tu rendis
il rendit
nous rendîmes
vous rendîtes
ils rendirent
Several common irregular verbs:
faire—to do/make
je fis
tu fis
il fit
nous fîmes
vous fîtes
ils firent
venir—to come
je vins
tu vins
il vint
nous vînmes
vous vîntes
ils vinrent
être—to be
je fus
tu fus
il fut
nous fûmes
vous fûtes
ils furent
avoir—to have
j'eus
tu eus
il eut
nous eûmes
vous eûtes
ils eurent
Many other irregular verbs are easily recognized because the passé simple often resembles the past particle. For example, il courut (he ran) is from courir, for which the past particple is couru.
[edit] Local Variations and Modern Usage
In modern spoken French, the passé simple has practically disappeared, mostly because the perceived irregularity of its conjugation makes it difficult to understand orally[citation needed]. 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 mangit. »
Unfortunate like Brisquet's dog, who only went into the woods once and the wolf ate it.
From « Histoire du chien de Brisquet » by Charles Nodier
Even though it has been abandoned by the spoken language, the passé simple is still very common in the written language as a narrative tense, even in children's books and popular literature.
In modern, spoken French, the passé simple is occasionally slipped into conversation as a joke to make the sentence sound either snobbier or more refined, especially the first or second person plural, which are rarely if ever used in contemporary French, even in writing.
[edit] References
- http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passé_simple
- http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa010501.htm
- http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa122999.htm
- http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~jbaker/passesimple.html
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