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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb financer

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The English translation of the French verb “financer” is “to finance.” The infinitive form of “financer” is pronounced as “fee-nahn-sey.”

The verb “financer” comes from the French word “finance,” which originated from the Latin word “finis,” meaning “end” or “limit.” In everyday French, “financer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French and is less commonly used in spoken language.

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

  1. J’achetai ma voiture en finançant un prêt auprès de la banque.
    Translation: I bought my car by financing a loan from the bank.

  2. L’entreprise finança la construction de l’usine avec l’aide d’un investisseur.
    Translation: The company financed the construction of the factory with the help of an investor.

  3. Ils finançèrent leur projet en obtenant une subvention du gouvernement.
    Translation: They financed their project by obtaining a grant from the government.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je finançai J’ai finançai le projet. I financed the project.
Tu finanças Tu finanças ton entreprise. You financed your business.
Il finança Il finança la construction. He financed the construction.
Elle finança Elle finança ses études. She financed her studies.
On finança On finança le projet. One financed the project.
Nous finançâmes Nous finançâmes la recherche. We financed the research.
Vous finançâtes Vous finançâtes le voyage. You financed the trip.
Ils financèrent Ils financèrent le projet. They financed the project.
Elles financèrent Elles financèrent l’entreprise. They (feminine) financed the business.

Other Conjugations for Financer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb financer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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