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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arriver

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The English translation of the French verb “arriver” is “to arrive.” The infinitive form “arriver” is pronounced as ah-ree-vay.

The verb “arriver” in French is derived from the Latin verb “arripare” meaning “to reach the shore” or “to land.” In everyday French, “arriver” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to talk about an action or event that occurred and was completed in the past. However, it is worth mentioning that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal writing and literature.

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

  1. Hier, il arriva en retard à la réunion.
    Translation: Yesterday, he arrived late to the meeting.

  2. L’avion arriva à destination sans aucun problème.
    Translation: The plane arrived at its destination without any problems.

  3. Quand nous sommes arrivés, la fête était déjà terminée.
    Translation: When we arrived, the party was already over.

In these examples, “arriver” is conjugated in the Passé Simple tense to match the subject of the sentence.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je arrivai J’arrivai en retard. I arrived late.
Tu arrivas Tu arrivas trop tôt. You arrived too early.
Il arriva Il arriva à l’heure. He arrived on time.
Elle arriva Elle arriva en première position. She arrived in first place.
On arriva On arriva en avance. One arrived early.
Nous arrivâmes Nous arrivâmes ensemble. We arrived together.
Vous arrivâtes Vous arrivâtes en même temps. You arrived at the same time.
Ils arrivèrent Ils arrivèrent en retard. They arrived late.
Elles arrivèrent Elles arrivèrent les premières. They (feminine) arrived first.

Other Conjugations for Arriver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arriver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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