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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb approuver

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je approuvai J’approuvai la décision. I approved the decision.
Tu approuvas Tu approuvas son choix. You approved his/her choice.
Il approuva Il approuva le projet. He approved the project.
Elle approuva Elle approuva la proposition. She approved the proposal.
On approuva On approuva la nouvelle loi. One approved the new law.
Nous approuvâmes Nous approuvâmes les conditions. We approved the conditions.
Vous approuvâtes Vous approuvâtes la recommandation. You approved the recommendation.
Ils approuvèrent Ils approuvèrent la réforme. They approved the reform.
Elles approuvèrent Elles approuvèrent la mesure. They (feminine) approved the measure.

Other Conjugations for Approuver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb approuver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Approuver – 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.

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