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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aimer

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The English translation of the French verb “aimer” is “to love” or “to like.” The infinitive form of “aimer” is pronounced as [ɛ.me].

“Aimer” originates from the Latin verb “amare,” which also means “to love.” It is one of the most commonly used verbs in everyday French and is often used to express feelings of affection or preference for someone or something.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “aimer” is used to talk about actions or events that occurred and were completed in the past. However, the Passé Simple tense is now mostly used in formal writing, literature, or storytelling.

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

  1. J’aimai ce film. (I loved this movie.)
  2. Elle aima voyager en Europe. (She loved traveling in Europe.)
  3. Nous aimâmes la musique du concert. (We loved the music at the concert.)

Please note that in modern spoken French, the Passé Composé (composed past tense) is more commonly used to talk about actions or events in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je aimai J’aimai le film. I liked the movie.
Tu aimas Tu aimas le livre. You liked the book.
Il aima Il aima la chanson. He liked the song.
Elle aima Elle aima la peinture. She liked the painting.
On aima On aima la pièce de théâtre. One liked the play.
Nous aimâmes Nous aimâmes la musique. We liked the music.
Vous aimâtes Vous aimâtes le spectacle. You liked the show.
Ils aimèrent Ils aimèrent la danse. They liked the dance.
Elles aimèrent Elles aimèrent la sculpture. They (feminine) liked the sculpture.

Other Conjugations for Aimer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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