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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb feinter

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The English translation of the French verb “feinter” is “to feign” or “to pretend.” The infinitive form “feinter” is pronounced as “feyn-tey” in French.

The verb “feinter” originated from the Old French word “feintier” which means “to deceive” or “to trick.” It is commonly used in everyday French, especially in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used primarily in written French, such as in literature, formal writing, or historical accounts.

Here are three simple examples of “feinter” used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Il feignit l’ignorance quand on lui posa des questions. (He pretended ignorance when he was asked questions.)
  2. Elle feignit d’être malade pour ne pas aller à l’école. (She pretended to be sick in order not to go to school.)
  3. Ils feignirent la surprise lorsqu’ils découvrirent leur cadeau. (They pretended surprise when they discovered their gift.)

English translations:

  1. He pretended to be ignorant when he was asked questions.
  2. She pretended to be sick in order not to go to school.
  3. They pretended to be surprised when they discovered their gift.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je feintai Je feintai la surprise. I feigned surprise.
Tu feintas Tu feintas l’ignorance. You feigned ignorance.
Il feinta Il feinta la maladie. He feigned illness.
Elle feinta Elle feinta la joie. She feigned joy.
On feinta On feinta la peur. One feigned fear.
Nous feintâmes Nous feintâmes l’indifférence. We feigned indifference.
Vous feintâtes Vous feintâtes la confiance. You feigned confidence.
Ils feintèrent Ils feintèrent la surprise. They feigned surprise.
Elles feintèrent Elles feintèrent l’ignorance. They (feminine) feigned ignorance.

Other Conjugations for Feinter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb feinter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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