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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fanfaronner

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The English translation of the French verb “fanfaronner” is “to boast” or “to brag.” The infinitive form “fanfaronner” is pronounced as “fahn-fah-roh-neh.”

The word “fanfaronner” originates from the Middle French word “fanfaron,” which refers to a braggart or a swaggerer. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word “fanfarrón,” meaning a boaster or a braggart. In everyday French, “fanfaronner” is used to describe the act of bragging or boasting excessively.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “fanfaronner” is less commonly used in everyday French. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il fanfaronna devant tout le monde. (He boasted in front of everyone.)
  2. Elle fanfaronna de sa nouvelle voiture. (She bragged about her new car.)
  3. Ils fanfaronnèrent de leur victoire. (They bragged about their victory.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is considered formal and is mostly used in written literature, historical contexts, or formal speeches. In everyday spoken French, the passé composé or other compound tenses are commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fanfaronnai J’ai fanfaronné devant mes amis. I boasted in front of my friends.
Tu fanfaronnas Tu fanfaronnas après ta victoire. You boasted after your victory.
Il fanfaronna Il fanfaronna en racontant des mensonges. He boasted by telling lies.
Elle fanfaronna Elle fanfaronna en exhibant sa nouvelle voiture. She boasted by showing off her new car.
On fanfaronna On fanfaronna en prétendant tout savoir. One boasted by pretending to know everything.
Nous fanfaronnâmes Nous fanfaronnâmes devant la foule. We boasted in front of the crowd.
Vous fanfaronnâtes Vous fanfaronnâtes pendant le spectacle. You boasted during the show.
Ils fanfaronnèrent Ils fanfaronnèrent après leur victoire. They boasted after their victory.
Elles fanfaronnèrent Elles fanfaronnèrent en racontant leurs exploits. They (feminine) boasted by telling their exploits.

Other Conjugations for Fanfaronner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fanfaronner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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