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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adresser

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The English translation of the French verb “adresser” is “to address.” The infinitive form of “adresser” is pronounced as ah-dre-seh.

The verb “adresser” comes from the Old French word “adrecier” which means “to direct, guide, or set straight.” It originated from the Latin word “directus,” which has the same meaning. In everyday French, “adresser” is commonly used to express the action of directing or sending something to someone, both in a literal and figurative sense.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “adresser” is less commonly used in everyday spoken French. This tense is mainly found in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts. Here are three simple examples of “adresser” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je lui adressai une lettre hier. (I addressed a letter to him/her yesterday.)
  2. L’orateur adressa un discours à la foule. (The speaker addressed a speech to the crowd.)
  3. Elle adressa ses remerciements à tous les participants. (She expressed her gratitude to all the participants.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is not widely used in modern spoken French. Instead, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly employed to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je adressai J’adressai une lettre. I addressed a letter.
Tu adressas Tu adressas une question. You addressed a question.
Il adressa Il adressa ses salutations. He addressed his greetings.
Elle adressa Elle adressa une invitation. She addressed an invitation.
On adressa On adressa une demande. One addressed a request.
Nous adressâmes Nous adressâmes une réclamation. We addressed a complaint.
Vous adressâtes Vous adressâtes une demande d’emploi. You addressed a job application.
Ils adressèrent Ils adressèrent une lettre. They addressed a letter.
Elles adressèrent Elles adressèrent une invitation. They (feminine) addressed an invitation.

Other Conjugations for Adresser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adresser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Adresser – 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.

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