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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flûter

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The English translation of the French verb “flûter” is “to flute” or “to play the flute.” The infinitive form of “flûter” is pronounced as “flew-tay”.

The verb “flûter” originates from the Old French word “flaüter” which means “to play the flute.” It comes from the Latin word “flautare” or “flautum” meaning “to play the flute” or “flute.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense is rarely used in spoken language but is commonly found in formal writing or literature to express completed actions in the past. However, the usage of “flûter” in the Passé Simple tense is extremely rare, and it is more commonly used in the present tense or other past tenses like the Passé Composé.

Given its limited usage in the Passé Simple tense, there are few examples available. Here are three simple examples:

  1. Je flûtai une mélodie douce. (I played a soft melody.)
  2. Il flûta lors du concert hier soir. (He played the flute during the concert last night.)
  3. Les musiciens flûtèrent avec virtuosité. (The musicians played the flute with virtuosity.)

Please note that these examples are not commonly used in everyday French and are more likely to be encountered in formal or literary contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je flûtai Je flûtai une mélodie. I played a melody on the flute.
Tu flûtas Tu flûtas avec talent. You played with talent.
Il flûta Il flûta pendant des heures. He played the flute for hours.
Elle flûta Elle flûta une chanson douce. She played a soft song on the flute.
On flûta On flûta dans la rue. One played the flute in the street.
Nous flûtâmes Nous flûtâmes ensemble. We played the flute together.
Vous flûtâtes Vous flûtâtes lors du concert. You played the flute during the concert.
Ils flûtèrent Ils flûtèrent avec virtuosité. They played the flute with virtuosity.
Elles flûtèrent Elles flûtèrent une mélodie joyeuse. They (feminine) played a joyful melody on the flute.

Other Conjugations for Flûter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flûter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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