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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apprêter

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The English translation of the French verb “apprêter” is “to prepare.” The infinitive form “apprêter” is pronounced as ah-preh-teh.

The verb “apprêter” comes from the Latin word “praeparare,” meaning “to prepare.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used primarily in written language.

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

  1. J’apprêtai le repas avant leur arrivée.
    (I prepared the meal before their arrival.)

  2. Elle apprêta ses affaires pour le voyage.
    (She prepared her belongings for the trip.)

  3. Ils apprêtèrent la salle pour la fête.
    (They prepared the room for the party.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in modern spoken French and is mostly found in literature or formal writing. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je apprêtai J’apprêtai le repas. I prepared the meal.
Tu apprêtas Tu apprêtas la table. You prepared the table.
Il apprêta Il apprêta ses affaires. He prepared his things.
Elle apprêta Elle apprêta sa valise. She prepared her suitcase.
On apprêta On apprêta la salle. One prepared the room.
Nous apprêtâmes Nous apprêtâmes les invitations. We prepared the invitations.
Vous apprêtâtes Vous apprêtâtes le dessert. You prepared the dessert.
Ils apprêtèrent Ils apprêtèrent la voiture. They prepared the car.
Elles apprêtèrent Elles apprêtèrent la salade. They (feminine) prepared the salad.

Other Conjugations for Apprêter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apprêter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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