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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fasciner

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The English translation of the French verb “fasciner” is “to fascinate.” The infinitive form “fasciner” is pronounced as /fa.si.ne/.

The verb “fasciner” originated from the Latin verb “fascinare,” which means “to bewitch.” In everyday French, the verb “fasciner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe completed actions in the past. However, it is worth noting that the Passé Simple tense is less frequently used in spoken French and is mostly found in written literature or formal contexts.

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

  1. Elle fascina les spectateurs avec son incroyable talent.
    (She fascinated the spectators with her incredible talent.)

  2. Le film fascina les critiques et remporta de nombreux prix.
    (The film fascinated the critics and won numerous awards.)

  3. Les découvertes scientifiques du chercheur fascinèrent le monde entier.
    (The scientist’s discoveries fascinated the entire world.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is often replaced by the more commonly used Passé Composé tense in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fascinai J’ai fasciné les spectateurs. I fascinated the spectators.
Tu fascinas Tu as fasciné ton public. You fascinated your audience.
Il fascina Il a fasciné tout le monde. He fascinated everyone.
Elle fascina Elle a fasciné les juges. She fascinated the judges.
On fascina On a fasciné la foule. One fascinated the crowd.
Nous fascinâmes Nous avons fasciné nos amis. We fascinated our friends.
Vous fascinâtes Vous avez fasciné le public. You fascinated the audience.
Ils fascinèrent Ils ont fasciné les enfants. They fascinated the children.
Elles fascinèrent Elles ont fasciné les visiteurs. They (feminine) fascinated the visitors.

Other Conjugations for Fasciner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fasciner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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