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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fonder

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of fonder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “fonder” is “to found” or “to establish.” The infinitive form of “fonder” is pronounced as “fawn-deh.”

The verb “fonder” comes from the Latin word “fundare,” meaning “to lay the foundation of.” In everyday French, “fonder” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used for narration in written French.

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

  1. Il fonda cette entreprise en 1990. (He founded this company in 1990.)
  2. Elle fonda une association caritative pour aider les enfants défavorisés. (She established a charity organization to help underprivileged children.)
  3. Ils fondèrent une école de musique renommée dans leur ville natale. (They founded a renowned music school in their hometown.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts in modern French. In spoken French and most informal writing, the Passé Composé tense is preferred to express the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fondai Je fondai une entreprise. I founded a company.
Tu fondas Tu fondas une famille. You founded a family.
Il fonda Il fonda une association. He founded an association.
Elle fonda Elle fonda une organisation. She founded an organization.
On fonda On fonda un club. One founded a club.
Nous fondâmes Nous fondâmes une fondation. We founded a foundation.
Vous fondâtes Vous fondâtes une société. You founded a company.
Ils fondèrent Ils fondèrent un parti politique. They founded a political party.
Elles fondèrent Elles fondèrent une école. They (feminine) founded a school.

Other Conjugations for Fonder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fonder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the fonder Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply