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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb faufiler

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The English translation of the French verb “faufiler” is “to slip through” or “to squeeze through.” The infinitive form “faufiler” is pronounced as “foh-fee-lay.”

The word “faufiler” originated from the combination of the prefix “faux” meaning “false” and the word “filer” meaning “to thread.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of slipping through or maneuvering between narrow spaces or obstacles.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “faufiler” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je faufilai: I slipped through
  • Tu faufilas: You slipped through
  • Il/elle/on faufila: He/she/one slipped through

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

  1. Je faufilai entre les voitures pour éviter le trafic.
    (I slipped through between the cars to avoid the traffic.)

  2. Il faufila habilement à travers la foule pour se rendre à l’entrée.
    (He skillfully squeezed through the crowd to get to the entrance.)

  3. Elle faufila sa main dans la poche pour attraper la clé.
    (She slipped her hand into the pocket to grab the key.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je faufilai Je me faufilai entre les voitures. I slipped between the cars.
Tu faufilas Tu faufilas discrètement dans la foule. You slipped discreetly into the crowd.
Il faufila Il faufila son bras autour d’elle. He slipped his arm around her.
Elle faufila Elle faufila sa main dans la poche. She slipped her hand into the pocket.
On faufila On faufila rapidement vers la sortie. One slipped quickly towards the exit.
Nous faufilâmes Nous faufilâmes à travers les gens. We slipped through the people.
Vous faufilâtes Vous faufilâtes habilement entre les tables. You slipped skillfully between the tables.
Ils faufilèrent Ils faufilèrent entre les arbres. They slipped between the trees.
Elles faufilèrent Elles faufilèrent dans la file d’attente. They (feminine) slipped into the queue.

Other Conjugations for Faufiler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb faufiler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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