Grade 11 Français
28/08/18
Passé simple de l'indicatif
» A. Emploi du passé simple
Le passé simple exprime une action achevée du passé, le plus souvent une action brève.
Exemple : Soudain, le cycliste chuta par terre.
» B. Les terminaisons du passé simple de l'indicatif
Les terminaisons varient selon le groupe auquel appartient le verbe.
Passé simple de
1er groupe (ER) 2e groupe (IR)
l'indicatif
je / j' -ai aimai -is finis
tu -as aimas -is finis
il / elle / on -a aima -it finit
nous -âmes aimâmes -îmes finîmes
vous -âtes aimâtes -îtes finîtes
ils / elles -èrent aimèrent -irent finirent
Attention : les verbes du 3e groupe (RE) ont 3 modèles de terminaisons.
3e groupe modèle 1 modèle 2 modèle 3
je / j' -is pris -us crus -ins vins
tu -is pris -us crus -ins vins
il / elle / on -it prit -ut crut -int vint
nous -îmes prîmes -ûmes crûmes -înmes vînmes
vous -îtes prîtes -ûtes crûtes -întes vîntes
ils / elles -irent prirent -urent crurent -inrent vinrent
Remarque : On peut rechercher le participe passé du verbe à conjuguer mais cela ne
fonctionne pas toujours !
, Grade 11 Français
28/08/18
Exemple n°1 : verbe devoir - > participe passé : du.
Passé simple -> je dus, tu dus, il dut, nous dûmes, vous dûtes, ils durent.
Exemple n°2 : vaincre -> participe passé : vaincu.
Passé simple -> je vainquis, tu vainquis, il vainquit, nous vainquîmes, vous vainquîtes, ils
vainquirent.
» C.Les auxiliaires ont une conjugaison qu'il faut maitriser car ils permettent de former
le passé antérieur de l'indicatif de tous les autres verbes.
Les auxiliaires avoir être
je / j' eus fus
tu eus fus
il / elle / on eut fut
nous eûmes fûmes
vous eûtes fûtes
ils / elles eurent furent
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 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, comparable to the Ancient Greek aorist. 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 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.)
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.
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