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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaisser

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The English translation of the French verb “affaisser” is “to sag” or “to sink.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “affaisser” is [a-fe-se].

The verb “affaisser” comes from the Old French word “afesser,” which means “to weaken” or “to tire out.” It is derived from the Latin word “affatigare,” meaning “to tire” or “to exhaust.” In everyday French, the verb “affaisser” is used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions or events that happened once and were completed in the past.

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

  1. Le plafond s’affaissa après l’explosion.
    (The ceiling sagged after the explosion.)

  2. La poutre s’affaissa sous le poids des livres.
    (The beam sank under the weight of the books.)

  3. L’étagère s’affaissa et tous les objets tombèrent.
    (The shelf sagged, and all the objects fell down.)

In these examples, “affaisser” is used to describe a physical action of sinking, sagging, or collapsing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je affaissai J’affaissai le matelas. I sank the mattress.
Tu affaissas Tu affaissas le coussin. You sank the cushion.
Il affaissa Il affaissa le sol. He sank the floor.
Elle affaissa Elle affaissa la chaise. She sank the chair.
On affaissa On affaissa la table. One sank the table.
Nous affaissâmes Nous affaissâmes le canapé. We sank the sofa.
Vous affaissâtes Vous affaissâtes le lit. You sank the bed.
Ils affaissèrent Ils affaissèrent la terre. They sank the ground.
Elles affaissèrent Elles affaissèrent le plancher. They (feminine) sank the floor.

Other Conjugations for Affaisser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaisser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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