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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb facetter

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The English translation of the French verb “facetter” is “to facet” or “to cut facets.” The infinitive form of “facetter” is pronounced as “fa-se-te.”

“Facetter” is derived from the French noun “facette,” meaning “facet” or “surface.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to the action of cutting or shaping facets on surfaces, particularly in the context of gemstones or diamonds.

Here are three simple examples of “facetter” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’admirai le magnifique diamant que j’avais facetté à la perfection.
    (I admired the magnificent diamond that I had faceted to perfection.)

  2. Il facetta les pierres précieuses avec expertise pendant des heures.
    (He faceted the gemstones with expertise for hours.)

  3. Elle facetta les verres de lunettes en suivant les instructions du joaillier.
    (She faceted the glasses following the jeweler’s instructions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je facettais J’facettais la pierre. I faceted the stone.
Tu facettas Tu facettas le diamant. You faceted the diamond.
Il facetta Il facetta la bague. He faceted the ring.
Elle facetta Elle facetta la perle. She faceted the pearl.
On facetta On facetta la gemme. One faceted the gem.
Nous facetâmes Nous facetâmes les bijoux. We faceted the jewelry.
Vous facetâtes Vous facetâtes le cristal. You faceted the crystal.
Ils facettèrent Ils facettèrent le collier. They faceted the necklace.
Elles facettèrent Elles facettèrent le bracelet. They (feminine) faceted the bracelet.

Other Conjugations for Facetter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb facetter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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