Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accointer

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The English translation of the French verb “accointer” is “to acquaint” or “to introduce.” The infinitive form “accointer” is pronounced as ah-kwan-tay.

The verb “accointer” comes from the Old French word “acoüinter” which means “to make known,” derived from the Latin word “cognoscere” meaning “to know.” In everyday French, “accointer” is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events.

Here are three examples of the verb “accointer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Il accointa son ami à sa famille.
    (He introduced his friend to his family.)
  2. Elle accointa ses collègues lors de la réunion.
    (She acquainted her colleagues during the meeting.)
  3. Nous les accointâmes à nos voisins lors de la fête.
    (We acquainted them with our neighbors during the party.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is a literary tense used mainly in written French, particularly in storytelling or formal writing. In spoken French, the Passé Composé or the Imparfait tenses are commonly used for past events.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of accointer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je accointai J’accointai un nouvel ami. I befriended a new friend.
Tu accointas Tu accointas un collègue. You befriended a colleague.
Il accointa Il accointa sa voisine. He befriended his neighbor.
Elle accointa Elle accointa son camarade. She befriended her classmate.
On accointa On accointa ses collègues. One befriended their colleagues.
Nous accointâmes Nous accointâmes nos voisins. We befriended our neighbors.
Vous accointâtes Vous accointâtes une famille. You befriended a family.
Ils accointèrent Ils accointèrent leurs amis. They befriended their friends.
Elles accointèrent Elles accointèrent leurs voisines. They (feminine) befriended their neighbors.

Other Conjugations for Accointer.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer

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Accointer – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb accointer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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