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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb argenter

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The English translation of the French verb “argenter” is “to silver” or “to silver-plate.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “argenter” is [ahr-zhan-tay].

The word “argenter” originates from the Latin word “argentum,” meaning silver. It is primarily used to describe the action of coating an object with a thin layer of silver. In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language but is commonly found in written texts, literature, or formal contexts.

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

  1. Il argenta la coupe en argent.
    (He silver-plated the silver cup.)
  2. Elle argenta les couverts pour la soirée spéciale.
    (She silvered the cutlery for the special evening.)
  3. L’artisan argenta les bijoux avec soin.
    (The craftsman silvered the jewelry carefully.)

Please note that these examples are provided in the Passé Simple tense, which is less commonly used in everyday French conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je argentai J’argentai les bijoux. I silvered the jewelry.
Tu argentas Tu argentas la cuillère. You silvered the spoon.
Il argenta Il argenta le miroir. He silvered the mirror.
Elle argenta Elle argenta la montre. She silvered the watch.
On argenta On argenta la théière. One silvered the teapot.
Nous argentâmes Nous argentâmes les couverts. We silvered the cutlery.
Vous argentâtes Vous argentâtes le cadre. You silvered the frame.
Ils argentèrent Ils argentèrent le vase. They silvered the vase.
Elles argentèrent Elles argentèrent la bague. They (feminine) silvered the ring.

Other Conjugations for Argenter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb argenter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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