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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attacher

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The English translation of the French verb “attacher” is “to attach” or “to fasten.” The infinitive form “attacher” is pronounced as [a.ta.ʃe].

The verb “attacher” comes from the Latin word “taccare” meaning “to fasten” or “to fix.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, although this tense is mostly used in written French and not as much in spoken language.

Examples of “attacher” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’attachai mes cheveux en arrière. (I fastened my hair back.)
  2. Tu attachas les documents ensemble. (You attached the documents together.)
  3. Il attacha la corde au poteau. (He attached the rope to the pole.)

Please note that while these examples are in the Passé Simple tense, it is more common to use the compound past tense (Passé Composé) in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je attachai J’attachai la clé. I attached the key.
Tu attachas Tu attachas la corde. You attached the rope.
Il attacha Il attacha le chien. He attached the dog.
Elle attacha Elle attacha le ballon. She attached the balloon.
On attacha On attacha les documents. One attached the documents.
Nous attachâmes Nous attachâmes les bagages. We attached the luggage.
Vous attachâtes Vous attachâtes la laisse. You attached the leash.
Ils attachèrent Ils attachèrent les photos. They attached the photos.
Elles attachèrent Elles attachèrent les fleurs. They (feminine) attached the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Attacher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attacher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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