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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apitoyer

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The English translation of the French verb “apitoyer” is “to move/pity/make someone feel sorry for.”

The infinitive form “apitoyer” is pronounced as “ah-pee-twah-yay.”

The word “apitoyer” originated from the combination of “à” (to) and “pitié” (pity) in French.

In everyday French, the passé simple tense is rarely used in spoken language, as it is mostly reserved for formal writing or literature. However, here are three examples of how “apitoyer” could be used in the passé simple tense:

  1. Il apitoya son ami en lui racontant sa triste histoire. (He moved/pitied his friend by telling him his sad story.)
  2. Elle apitoya les enfants en leur montrant des images d’animaux abandonnés. (She made the children feel sorry for her by showing them pictures of abandoned animals.)
  3. Le film apitoya les spectateurs avec son scénario émouvant. (The film moved/pitied the spectators with its touching plot.)

English Translations:

  1. He moved/pitied his friend by telling him his sad story.
  2. She made the children feel sorry for her by showing them pictures of abandoned animals.
  3. The film moved/pitied the spectators with its touching plot.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je apitoyai J’apitoyai la petite fille. I pitied the little girl.
Tu apitoyas Tu apitoyas le chien abandonné. You pitied the abandoned dog.
Il apitoya Il apitoya les personnes sans-abri. He pitied the homeless people.
Elle apitoya Elle apitoya les victimes de l’accident. She pitied the accident victims.
On apitoya On apitoya les personnes âgées. One pitied the elderly people.
Nous apitoyâmes Nous apitoyâmes le mendiant. We pitied the beggar.
Vous apitoyâtes Vous apitoyâtes l’orphelin. You pitied the orphan.
Ils apitoyèrent Ils apitoyèrent les démunis. They pitied the destitute.
Elles apitoyèrent Elles apitoyèrent les animaux abandonnés. They (feminine) pitied the abandoned animals.

Other Conjugations for Apitoyer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apitoyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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