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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agoniser

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The English translation of the French verb “agoniser” is “to agonize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “agoniser” is: ah-goh-nee-zay.

The verb “agoniser” is derived from the Latin word “agonizare,” which means “to struggle” or “to be in agony.” In everyday French, the verb is primarily used in the present tense to express the act of suffering or going through emotional or physical distress.

However, the usage of “agoniser” in the passé simple (simple past) tense is relatively rare in everyday spoken French. The passé simple is mostly used in formal or literary contexts. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. Elle agonisa toute la nuit.
    (She agonized all night.)
  2. Les patients agonisèrent pendant des heures.
    (The patients agonized for hours.)
  3. Il agonisa jusqu’à son dernier souffle.
    (He agonized until his last breath.)

Please note that while the passé simple translations provided here are in the simple past tense, they may also be translated as past continuous tense in English, depending on the context.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je agonisai J’agonisai dans mon lit. I agonized in my bed.
Tu agonisas Tu agonisas toute la nuit. You agonized all night.
Il agonisa Il agonisa de douleur. He agonized in pain.
Elle agonisa Elle agonisa en silence. She agonized in silence.
On agonisa On agonisa devant le spectacle. One agonized at the sight.
Nous agonisâmes Nous agonisâmes ensemble. We agonized together.
Vous agonisâtes Vous agonisâtes de tristesse. You agonized in sadness.
Ils agonisèrent Ils agonisèrent de faim. They agonized of hunger.
Elles agonisèrent Elles agonisèrent de chagrin. They (feminine) agonized in sorrow.

Other Conjugations for Agoniser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agoniser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Agoniser – 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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