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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flirter

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The English translation of the French verb flirter is “to flirt.” The infinitive form of flirter is pronounced as “flee-tay.”

The word “flirter” originates from the English word “flirt” and was adopted into the French language. In everyday French, the verb flirter is commonly used in the present tense to describe the act of flirting.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, flirter is less commonly used in everyday French. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with the respective English translations:

  1. Il flirta avec elle lors de la soirée. (He flirted with her during the party.)
  2. Elle flirta avec lui pendant leurs vacances. (She flirted with him during their vacation.)
  3. Nous flirtâmes un peu avant de devenir amis. (We flirted a bit before becoming friends.)

Note: While the Passé Simple tense is used in formal writing and literature, in spoken and informal French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je flirtai J’ai flirtai avec lui. I flirted with him.
Tu flirtas Tu flirtas avec elle. You flirted with her.
Il flirta Il flirta avec moi. He flirted with me.
Elle flirta Elle flirta avec toi. She flirted with you.
On flirta On flirta avec eux. One flirted with them.
Nous flirtâmes Nous flirtâmes avec elles. We flirted with them.
Vous flirtâtes Vous flirtâtes avec lui. You flirted with him.
Ils flirtèrent Ils flirtèrent avec elle. They flirted with her.
Elles flirtèrent Elles flirtèrent avec toi. They (feminine) flirted with you.

Other Conjugations for Flirter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flirter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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