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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb asphyxier

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The English translation of the French verb “asphyxier” is “to asphyxiate” or “to suffocate.” The infinitive form, “asphyxier,” is pronounced as “ahs-fee-zee-ay.”

The verb “asphyxier” originates from the Greek word “asphyktos,” meaning “choked” or “suffocated.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the act of depriving someone or something of oxygen, leading to suffocation or asphyxiation.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “asphyxier” is used less frequently in everyday French as it is considered a literary or formal tense. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il asphyxia ses victimes sans pitié. (He suffocated his victims mercilessly.)
  2. L’enfant s’asphyxia en jouant avec un sac en plastique. (The child suffocated while playing with a plastic bag.)
  3. Les fumées toxiques asphyxièrent les pompiers. (The toxic fumes suffocated the firefighters.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is grammatically correct, it is rarely used in spoken language or informal writing in modern French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je asphyxiai J’asphyxiai la victime. I asphyxiated the victim.
Tu asphyxiais Tu asphyxiais les insectes. You asphyxiated the insects.
Il asphyxia Il asphyxia le serpent. He asphyxiated the snake.
Elle asphyxia Elle asphyxia son adversaire. She asphyxiated her opponent.
On asphyxia On asphyxia l’incendie. One asphyxiated the fire.
Nous asphyxiâmes Nous asphyxiâmes les mauvaises odeurs. We asphyxiated the bad smells.
Vous asphyxiâtes Vous asphyxiâtes les gaz toxiques. You asphyxiated the toxic gases.
Ils asphyxièrent Ils asphyxièrent les prisonniers. They asphyxiated the prisoners.
Elles asphyxièrent Elles asphyxièrent les bactéries. They (feminine) asphyxiated the bacteria.

Other Conjugations for Asphyxier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb asphyxier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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