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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apprécier

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The English translation of the French verb “apprécier” is “to appreciate” or “to enjoy.” The infinitive form of “apprécier” is pronounced as “ah-pray-syay.”

The verb “apprécier” comes from the Latin word “appretiare,” meaning “to appraise” or “to value.” In everyday French, “apprécier” is commonly used to express the action of appreciating or enjoying something or someone.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “apprécier” is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in written or formal contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. J’appréciai son aide précieuse. (I appreciated his valuable help.)
  2. Tu apprécias le spectacle de danse. (You enjoyed the dance show.)
  3. Il apprécia le bon vin français. (He appreciated the good French wine.)

Please note that in contemporary spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is typically used instead of the Passé Simple tense to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je appréciai J’appréciai la musique. I appreciated the music.
Tu apprécias Tu apprécias son cadeau. You appreciated his gift.
Il apprécia Il apprécia le film. He appreciated the movie.
Elle apprécia Elle apprécia le spectacle. She appreciated the show.
On apprécia On apprécia la performance. One appreciated the performance.
Nous appréciâmes Nous appréciâmes le repas. We appreciated the meal.
Vous appréciâtes Vous appréciâtes son talent. You appreciated his talent.
Ils apprécièrent Ils apprécièrent le vin. They appreciated the wine.
Elles apprécièrent Elles apprécièrent la soirée. They (feminine) appreciated the evening.

Other Conjugations for Apprécier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apprécier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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