Passé simple
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The passé simple (French pronunciation: [pase sɛ̃pl], simple past or preterite), also called the passé défini (IPA: [pase defini], definite past), is the literary equivalent of the passé composé in the French language, used only in formal writing (including history and literature), journalism, 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. 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:
« Je suis arrivé. » ("I have arrived." I have come to town. I may have just arrived.)
« 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 surprised to find that even books for elementary-aged French children are written using the passé simple, even though it is only taught to learners of French in advanced classes. The passé simple is 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:
| aimer | to like |
|---|---|
| j'aimai | nous aimâmes |
| tu aimas | vous aimâtes |
| il aima | ils aimèrent |
| dormir | to sleep |
|---|---|
| je dormis | nous dormîmes |
| tu dormis | vous dormîtes |
| il dormit | ils dormirent |
| rendre | to give back |
|---|---|
| je rendis | nous rendîmes |
| tu rendis | vous rendîtes |
| il rendit | 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 participle. For example, il courut (he ran) is from courir, for which the past participle is couru.
[edit] Local Variations and Modern Usage
In modern spoken French, the passé simple has practically disappeared. 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. »
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 after the first or second person plural, which are rarely if ever used in contemporary French, even in writing.
