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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attester

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The English translation of the French verb “attester” is “to certify” or “to attest.” The infinitive form “attester” is pronounced as ah-teh-stay.

The verb “attester” comes from the Latin word “attestari,” which means “to bear witness.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense when recounting past events or actions in a formal or written context.

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

  1. J’attestai mes compétences lors de l’entretien.
    (I certified my skills during the interview.)

  2. Il attesta sa présence à la réunion par sa signature.
    (He attested his presence at the meeting by signing.)

  3. Elle attesta la véracité de ses dires devant le tribunal.
    (She attested the truthfulness of her statements in front of the court.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts in French, and is less commonly used in everyday spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je attestai J’attestai ma présence. I attested my presence.
Tu attesta Tu attesta ta compétence. You attested your competence.
Il attesta Il attesta le contrat. He attested the contract.
Elle attesta Elle attesta la véracité. She attested the truthfulness.
On attesta On attesta leur engagement. One attested their commitment.
Nous attestâmes Nous attestâmes notre accord. We attested our agreement.
Vous attestâtes Vous attestâtes votre identité. You attested your identity.
Ils attestèrent Ils attestèrent le document. They attested the document.
Elles attestèrent Elles attestèrent leur présence. They (feminine) attested their presence.

Other Conjugations for Attester.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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