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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaler

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The English translation of the French verb “affaler” is “to let sag” or “to lower.” The infinitive form “affaler” is pronounced as “ah-fah-lay.”

The word “affaler” originated from the Old French word “afer” which means “to lower.” It is often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “affaler” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Nous affalâmes les voiles du bateau.
    (We lowered the sails of the boat.)

  2. Le marin affala le drapeau en signe de deuil.
    (The sailor let the flag sag as a sign of mourning.)

  3. Pendant la tempête, ils affalèrent rapidement les cordes.
    (During the storm, they quickly let the ropes sag.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je affalai J’affalai les voiles. I lowered the sails.
Tu affalas Tu affalas le drapeau. You lowered the flag.
Il affala Il affala la corde. He lowered the rope.
Elle affala Elle affala la bannière. She lowered the banner.
On affala On affala la toile. One lowered the canvas.
Nous affalâmes Nous affalâmes les poutres. We lowered the beams.
Vous affalâtes Vous affalâtes le mât. You lowered the mast.
Ils affalèrent Ils affalèrent les câbles. They lowered the cables.
Elles affalèrent Elles affalèrent la grue. They (feminine) lowered the crane.

Other Conjugations for Affaler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Affaler – 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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