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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alarmer

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The English translation of the French verb “alarmer” is “to alarm.” The infinitive form “alarmer” is pronounced as [a.laʁ.me].

“Alarmer” is derived from the Latin word “allarmare” which means “to give notice of.” It is primarily used in everyday French to indicate the action of creating anxiety or causing someone to be worried or concerned.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “alarmer” is conjugated as follows:

  • J’alarmai (I alarmed)
  • Tu alarmas (You alarmed)
  • Il/elle/on alarma (He/she/one alarmed)
  • Nous alarmâmes (We alarmed)
  • Vous alarmâtes (You alarmed)
  • Ils/elles alarmèrent (They alarmed)

Here are three simple examples of “alarmer” used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les cris d’alerte alarmèrent les habitants du quartier.
    (The cries of alert alarmed the neighborhood residents.)

  2. La nouvelle soudaine de l’accident les alarma tous.
    (The sudden news of the accident alarmed them all.)

  3. L’incident alarma les autorités qui prirent des mesures immédiates.
    (The incident alarmed the authorities who took immediate actions.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, especially in literature, and is less common in everyday spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je alarmai J’alarmai les voisins. I alarmed the neighbors.
Tu alarmas Tu alarmas les passants. You alarmed the passersby.
Il alarma Il alarma tout le quartier. He alarmed the whole neighborhood.
Elle alarma Elle alarma les habitants. She alarmed the residents.
On alarma On alarma les autorités. One alarmed the authorities.
Nous alarmâmes Nous alarmâmes le voisinage. We alarmed the neighborhood.
Vous alarmâtes Vous alarmâtes les clients. You alarmed the clients.
Ils alarmèrent Ils alarmèrent les animaux. They alarmed the animals.
Elles alarmèrent Elles alarmèrent les enfants. They (feminine) alarmed the children.

Other Conjugations for Alarmer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alarmer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Alarmer – 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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