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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb atteler

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The English translation of the French verb “atteler” is “to harness” or “to hitch.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “atteler” is [a.te.le].

The verb “atteler” comes from the Latin word “apticulare,” meaning “to join” or “to hitch together.” In everyday French, the passé simple (simple past) tense is rarely used as it has been mostly replaced by the passé composé (compound past) tense. However, the passé simple is still found in formal writing, literature, and historical contexts.

Here are three simple examples of “atteler” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’attelai les chevaux et partis pour la ferme.
    (I harnessed the horses and left for the farm.)

  2. Tu attelas les bœufs et commenças à labourer le champ.
    (You harnessed the oxen and started plowing the field.)

  3. Ils attelèrent le chariot et partirent pour la montagne.
    (They hitched the cart and left for the mountains.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is less commonly used in spoken French, and the passé composé tense is generally preferred for narrating past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je attelai J’attelai les chevaux. I harnessed the horses.
Tu attelas Tu attelas la charrette. You harnessed the cart.
Il attela Il attela le chien. He harnessed the dog.
Elle attela Elle attela les vaches. She harnessed the cows.
On attela On attela le tracteur. One harnessed the tractor.
Nous attelâmes Nous attelâmes les bœufs. We harnessed the oxen.
Vous attelâtes Vous attelâtes le cheval. You harnessed the horse.
Ils attelèrent Ils attelèrent les rennes. They harnessed the reindeer.
Elles attelèrent Elles attelèrent les mules. They (feminine) harnessed the mules.

Other Conjugations for Atteler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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