French passé simple tense explained (with examples)

French grammar | passé composé | imperfect

Published May 7, 2020 • Updated April 15, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson.

The French passé simple is a literary past tense used in books, history, and formal writing. It has the same meaning as the passé composé but is not used in everyday conversation.

Most learners don’t need to memorize the passé simple — but you do need to recognize it when reading French. This guide explains how it works with clear examples and conjugation charts.

📌 Passé simple vs passé composé

➞ J’ai parlé. I spoke.
➞ Je parlai. I spoke.

💡 Both tenses have the same meaning, but the passé simple is used in formal writing.

📘 How to form the passé simple

The passé simple is formed with one single word (no auxiliary verb).

➞ Je parlai. I spoke.
➞ Il finit. He finished.
➞ Nous vendîmes. We sold.

Reflexive verbs follow the same pattern:

➞ Je me levai. I got up.

📘 Passé simple endings

-er verbs endings:
-ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent

-ir and -re verbs endings:
-is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent

📘 Passé simple conjugation for regular verbs

Parler — to speak

je parlai — I spoke
tu parlas — you spoke
il/elle parla — he/she spoke
nous parlâmes — we spoke
vous parlâtes — you spoke
ils/elles parlèrent — they spoke

Finir — to finish

je finis — I finished
tu finis — you finished
il/elle finit — he/she finished
nous finîmes — we finished
vous finîtes — you finished
ils/elles finirent — they finished

Attendre — to wait

je attendis — I waited
tu attendis — you waited
il/elle attendit — he/she waited
nous attendîmes — we waited
vous attendîtes — you waited
ils/elles attendirent — they waited

📘 Spelling changes

Some verbs require spelling changes for pronunciation:

Prononcer — to pronounce

je prononçai — I pronounced
tu prononças — you pronounced
il/elle prononça — he/she pronounced
nous prononçâmes — we pronounced
vous prononçâtes — you pronounced
ils/elles prononcèrent — they pronounced

Nager — to swim

je nageai — I swam
tu nageas — you swam
il/elle nagea — he/she swam
nous nageâmes — we swam
vous nageâtes — you swam
ils/elles nagèrent — they swam

📘 Common irregular verbs in the passé simple

Être — to be

je fus
tu fus
il/elle fut
nous fûmes
vous fûtes
ils/elles furent

Avoir — to have

j’eus
tu eus
il/elle eut
nous eûmes
vous eûtes
ils/elles eurent

Faire — to do, make

je fis
tu fis
il/elle fit
nous fîmes
vous fîtes
ils/elles firent

Aller — to go

j’allai
tu allas
il/elle alla
nous allâmes
vous allâtes
ils/elles allèrent

📘 Irregular verbs (3rd person forms)

The following table lists common irregular verbs in the passé simple. The third-person singular (il/elle) and plural (ils/elles) forms are highlighted, as these appear most frequently in literature.

🔗 Related lessons

• Passé composé (past tense)
• Imperfect (imparfait)
• Verb conjugations
• Grammar lessons

David Issokson Founder & French Teacher at FrenchLearner.com

David Issokson is the founder of FrenchLearner.com, where he’s been helping students master French through vocabulary, grammar, and cultural lessons since 2012.

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