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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flancher

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The English translation of the French verb “flancher” is “to falter” or “to waver.” The infinitive form of “flancher” is pronounced as “flɑ̃.ʃe” in French.

The word “flancher” has its origins in the Latin word “flancus,” which means “flank” or “side.” In everyday French, the verb is most commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in formal or written language. The Passé Simple is used to describe completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “flancher” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je flanchai devant les difficultés.
    (I faltered in the face of difficulties.)
  2. L’équipe ne flancha pas malgré la pression.
    (The team did not waver despite the pressure.)
  3. Il flancha et abandonna sa mission.
    (He faltered and gave up on his mission.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts in contemporary French. In spoken French, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to talk about completed past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je flanchai Je flanchai devant la pression. I faltered under the pressure.
Tu flanchas Tu flanchas face à l’adversité. You faltered in the face of adversity.
Il flancha Il flancha dans la dernière minute. He faltered in the last minute.
Elle flancha Elle flancha sous le poids. She faltered under the weight.
On flancha On flancha lors de l’épreuve. One faltered during the test.
Nous flanchâmes Nous flanchâmes devant la difficulté. We faltered in the face of difficulty.
Vous flanchâtes Vous flanchâtes devant l’obstacle. You faltered in front of the obstacle.
Ils flanchèrent Ils flanchèrent face à l’ennemi. They faltered in front of the enemy.
Elles flanchèrent Elles flanchèrent devant le danger. They (feminine) faltered in the face of danger.

Other Conjugations for Flancher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flancher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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