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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adapter

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The English translation of the French verb “adapter” is “to adapt.” The infinitive form of “adapter” is pronounced as “ah-dahp-tey.”

“Adapter” is derived from the Latin word “adaptare,” meaning “to adjust.” In everyday French, the verb “adapter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in written narratives and formal speech.

Here are three examples of “adapter” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle adapta son discours pour convaincre tout le monde.
    (She adapted her speech to convince everyone.)

  2. Nous adaptâmes rapidement nos méthodes de travail.
    (We quickly adapted our working methods.)

  3. Ils n’adaptèrent pas leur stratégie malgré les circonstances.
    (They did not adapt their strategy despite the circumstances.)

In these examples, “adapter” is used to describe the act of adjusting or modifying something to fit a particular situation or purpose.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je adaptai J’adaptai mon plan. I adapted my plan.
Tu adaptas Tu adaptas tes horaires. You adapted your schedule.
Il adapta Il adapta sa méthode. He adapted his method.
Elle adapta Elle adapta son discours. She adapted her speech.
On adapta On adapta la recette. One adapted the recipe.
Nous adaptâmes Nous adaptâmes nos stratégies. We adapted our strategies.
Vous adaptâtes Vous adaptâtes votre attitude. You adapted your attitude.
Ils adaptèrent Ils adaptèrent leur plan. They adapted their plan.
Elles adaptèrent Elles adaptèrent leur comportement. They (feminine) adapted their behavior.

Other Conjugations for Adapter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adapter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Adapter – 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 adapter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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