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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb filtrer

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The English translation of the French verb “filtrer” is “to filter.” The infinitive form “filtrer” is pronounced as /feel-treh/.

The verb “filtrer” comes from the Latin word “filtrare,” meaning “to strain or purify.” In everyday French, “filtrer” is commonly used to describe the action of passing a liquid or gas through a filter to remove impurities or unwanted particles.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is primarily used in written French, three examples of the usage of “filtrer” could be:

  1. J’entrai dans la cuisine, pris la bouilloire et filtrai l’eau avant de la verser dans la théière.
    (I entered the kitchen, took the kettle, and filtered the water before pouring it into the teapot.)

  2. Lorsque le vin est prêt, nous le filtrâmes pour enlever les résidus.
    (When the wine was ready, we filtered it to remove the residue.)

  3. Le chimiste ajouta le réactif puis filtrat le mélange pour obtenir un produit pur.
    (The chemist added the reagent, then filtered the mixture to obtain a pure product.)

English translations:

  1. I entered the kitchen, took the kettle, and filtered the water before pouring it into the teapot.
  2. When the wine was ready, we filtered it to remove the residue.
  3. The chemist added the reagent, then filtered the mixture to obtain a pure product.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je filtrai Je filtrai le café. I filtered the coffee.
Tu filtras Tu filtras l’eau. You filtered the water.
Il filtra Il filtra le vin. He filtered the wine.
Elle filtra Elle filtra le jus. She filtered the juice.
On filtra On filtra le thé. One filtered the tea.
Nous filtrâmes Nous filtrâmes le lait. We filtered the milk.
Vous filtrâtes Vous filtrâtes le sirop. You filtered the syrup.
Ils filtrèrent Ils filtrèrent le liquide. They filtered the liquid.
Elles filtrèrent Elles filtrèrent l’huile. They (feminine) filtered the oil.

Other Conjugations for Filtrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb filtrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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