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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alterner

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The English translation of the French verb “alterner” is “to alternate.” The infinitive form “alterner” is pronounced as “ahl-tayr-nay.”

The verb “alterner” originates from the Latin word “alternāre,” meaning “to alternate.” In everyday French, it is commonly used to express the action of taking turns or interchanging between two or more things or activities.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is mostly used in formal or literary contexts, “alterner” is conjugated as follows:

  • J’alternai (I alternated)
  • Tu alternas (You alternated)
  • Il/elle/on alterna (He/she/one alternated)
  • Nous alternâmes (We alternated)
  • Vous alternâtes (You alternated)
  • Ils/elles alternèrent (They alternated)

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

  1. J’alternai entre le travail et les pauses pour rester productif.
    (I alternated between work and breaks to stay productive.)

  2. Ils alternèrent les gardes pour surveiller la maison pendant nos vacances.
    (They alternated shifts to watch the house during our vacation.)

  3. Elle alterna les cours de danse et de musique durant toute l’année.
    (She alternated between dance and music classes throughout the year.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je alternai J’alternai entre le thé et le café. I alternated between tea and coffee.
Tu alternas Tu alternas les exercices. You alternated the exercises.
Il alterna Il alterna les couleurs. He alternated the colors.
Elle alterna Elle alterna les activités. She alternated the activities.
On alterna On alterna les rôles. One alternated the roles.
Nous alternâmes Nous alternâmes les destinations. We alternated the destinations.
Vous alternâtes Vous alternâtes les réponses. You alternated the answers.
Ils alternèrent Ils alternèrent les positions. They alternated the positions.
Elles alternèrent Elles alternèrent les tâches. They (feminine) alternated the tasks.

Other Conjugations for Alterner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alterner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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