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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arrenter

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The English translation of the French verb “arrenter” is “to rent out” or “to lease.” The infinitive form “arrenter” is pronounced as “a-ran-tay.”

The word “arrenter” originated from the Old French verb “arenter,” which means “to put into possession.” It comes from the Latin word “ad,” meaning “to” or “toward,” and “restituere,” meaning “to restore.” In everyday French, the verb “arrenter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions that occurred in the past.

Three simple examples of “arrenter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. J’arrentai le studio à mon ami. (I rented out the studio to my friend.)
  2. Elle arrenta sa maison pour les vacances. (She leased her house for the holidays.)
  3. Ils arrentèrent leur appartement pendant leur absence. (They rented out their apartment during their absence.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal writing and literature, while the Passé Composé is more commonly used in spoken and informal French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je arretai J’arretai le train. I stopped the train.
Tu arretas Tu arretas le moteur. You stopped the engine.
Il arreta Il arreta la musique. He stopped the music.
Elle arreta Elle arreta le bruit. She stopped the noise.
On arreta On arreta le match. One stopped the match.
Nous arretâmes Nous arretâmes la fête. We stopped the party.
Vous arretâtes Vous arretâtes la conversation. You stopped the conversation.
Ils arretèrent Ils arretèrent le voleur. They stopped the thief.
Elles arretèrent Elles arretèrent le défilé. They (feminine) stopped the parade.

Other Conjugations for Arrenter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrenter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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