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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contracter

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The English translation of the French verb “contracter” is “to contract.” The infinitive form of “contracter” is pronounced as [kɔ̃.tʁak.te].

The verb “contracter” in French originated from the Latin word “contractare,” which means “to bring together” or “to draw tight.” In everyday French, “contracter” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to the action of contracting or acquiring something.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’ouvris la fenêtre et contractai un rhume.
    Translation: I opened the window and caught a cold.

  2. Il contracta une dette énorme à force de dépenser sans compter.
    Translation: He incurred a huge debt by spending without restraint.

  3. Elle contracta un contrat de travail très avantageux.
    Translation: She entered into a very advantageous work contract.

Note: The Passé Simple tense is predominantly used in written French, particularly in formal or literary contexts. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly preferred to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je contractai J’ai contracté le virus. I contracted the virus.
Tu contractas Tu contractas une dette. You contracted a debt.
Il contracta Il contracta une maladie. He contracted a disease.
Elle contracta Elle contracta un contrat. She contracted a contract.
On contracta On contracta un mariage. One contracted a marriage.
Nous contractâmes Nous contractâmes une assurance. We contracted an insurance.
Vous contractâtes Vous contractâtes un prêt. You contracted a loan.
Ils contractèrent Ils contractèrent un accord. They contracted an agreement.
Elles contractèrent Elles contractèrent une infection. They (feminine) contracted an infection.

Other Conjugations for Contracter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contracter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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