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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fendiller

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The English translation of the French verb fendiller is “to crack” or “to split.” The infinitive form of fendiller is pronounced as /fɑ̃.di.je/.

The verb fendiller comes from the combination of the prefix “fen-” (derived from the Latin “findere” meaning “to split”) and the suffix “-iller” (which adds a frequentative or repetitive sense to the verb). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of creating small cracks or splits on an object’s surface.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, fendiller is less commonly used in everyday spoken French, as it is mainly reserved for formal or literary contexts. Here are three examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. La bouteille fendilla lorsque je l’ai échappée.
    (The bottle cracked when I dropped it.)

  2. Les planches fendillèrent sous le poids des marchandises.
    (The planks cracked under the weight of the goods.)

  3. La glace fendilla à cause du froid intense.
    (The ice split due to the intense cold.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is typically only used in written French and is less commonly used in spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fendillai Je fendillai la vitre. I cracked the window.
Tu fendillas Tu fendillas la porte. You cracked the door.
Il fendilla Il fendilla le bois. He cracked the wood.
Elle fendilla Elle fendilla la céramique. She cracked the ceramic.
On fendilla On fendilla le mur. One cracked the wall.
Nous fendillâmes Nous fendillâmes le verre. We cracked the glass.
Vous fendillâtes Vous fendillâtes la pierre. You cracked the stone.
Ils fendillèrent Ils fendillèrent le carrelage. They cracked the tile.
Elles fendillèrent Elles fendillèrent la surface. They (feminine) cracked the surface.

Other Conjugations for Fendiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fendiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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