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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appareiller

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The English translation of the French verb appareiller is “to pair, to match, to dock, to set sail.” The infinitive form of appareiller is pronounced as “ah-pah-ray-yay.”

The verb appareiller comes from the Old French word apareillier, which means “to prepare.” It is derived from the Latin word apparare, meaning “to make ready.” In everyday French, appareiller is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which corresponds to the Simple Past tense in English. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French and less frequently in spoken language.

Here are three simple examples of appareiller in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. Nous appareillâmes à l’aube. (We set sail at dawn.)
  2. Le navire appareilla du port. (The ship left the harbor.)
  3. Ils appareillèrent les chaussettes par paires. (They matched the socks in pairs.)

Please keep in mind that these examples are in the Passé Simple tense, which is less commonly used in modern spoken French. In everyday conversation, the Passé Composé or other compound tenses are usually preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je appareillai J’appareillai du port. I set sail from the port.
Tu appareillas Tu appareillas rapidement. You set sail quickly.
Il appareilla Il appareilla son bateau. He set sail his boat.
Elle appareilla Elle appareilla la flotte. She set sail the fleet.
On appareilla On appareilla en silence. One set sail in silence.
Nous appareillâmes Nous appareillâmes tôt le matin. We set sail early in the morning.
Vous appareillâtes Vous appareillâtes pour la destination. You set sail towards the destination.
Ils appareillèrent Ils appareillèrent ensemble. They set sail together.
Elles appareillèrent Elles appareillèrent vers l’océan. They (feminine) set sail towards the ocean.

Other Conjugations for Appareiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appareiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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