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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apiquer

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The English translation of the French verb “apiquer” is “to prick” or “to jab.” The infinitive form “apiquer” is pronounced as “ah-pee-kay.”

The verb “apiquer” has its origins in the Latin word “piccare,” which means “to pierce.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe specific actions that occurred in the past. This tense is more commonly found in written French rather than spoken language.

Here are three examples of “apiquer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il apiqua son doigt sur l’aiguille.
    (He pricked his finger on the needle.)
  2. Elle apiqua rapidement le tissu avec la broche.
    (She quickly pricked the fabric with the pin.)
  3. Ils apiquèrent les ballons pour les faire éclater.
    (They pricked the balloons to make them burst.)

Note: In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is typically used instead of the Passé Simple to describe actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je appliquai J’appliquai la crème. I applied the cream.
Tu appliquas Tu appliquas la règle. You applied the rule.
Il appliqua Il appliqua la politique. He applied the policy.
Elle appliqua Elle appliqua la méthode. She applied the method.
On appliqua On appliqua la loi. One applied the law.
Nous appliquâmes Nous appliquâmes les consignes. We applied the instructions.
Vous appliquâtes Vous appliquâtes la peinture. You applied the paint.
Ils appliquèrent Ils appliquèrent la technique. They applied the technique.
Elles appliquèrent Elles appliquèrent la stratégie. They (feminine) applied the strategy.

Other Conjugations for Apiquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apiquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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