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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flanquer

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The English translation of the French verb “flanquer” is “to flank” or “to put.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “flahn-kay”.

The verb “flanquer” originated from the Latin word “flancus,” meaning “side.” In everyday French, it is often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used primarily in written narratives or formal speech.

Three examples of the usage of “flanquer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations, are:

  1. Elle flanqua une claque à son frère.
    (She slapped her brother.)

  2. Ils flanquèrent une raclée à leurs adversaires.
    (They gave their opponents a beating.)

  3. Le vent flanqua la porte.
    (The wind slammed the door.)

These examples showcase the action of “flanquer” in the past, indicating the act of putting or flanking someone or something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je flanquai Je flanquai une claque à Pierre. I slapped Pierre.
Tu flanquas Tu flanquas la porte. You flung the door.
Il flanqua Il flanqua le ballon. He flung the ball.
Elle flanqua Elle flanqua un coup de pied. She kicked.
On flanqua On flanqua une gifle à Marie. One slapped Marie.
Nous flanquâmes Nous flanquâmes les voleurs dehors. We threw the thieves out.
Vous flanquâtes Vous flanquâtes le verre à la poubelle. You threw the glass in the trash.
Ils flanquèrent Ils flanquèrent une claque à Marc. They slapped Marc.
Elles flanquèrent Elles flanquèrent la porte ouverte. They (feminine) left the door open.

Other Conjugations for Flanquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flanquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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