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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fortifier

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The English translation of the French verb “fortifier” is “to strengthen” or “to fortify.” The infinitive form “fortifier” is pronounced as fohr-tee-fee-yay.

The verb “fortifier” comes from the Latin word “fortificare,” which means “to fortify” or “to strengthen.” In everyday French, “fortifier” is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in formal or written contexts, as it is less commonly used in spoken French.

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

  1. Nous fortifiâmes les murs de la forteresse. (We fortified the fortress walls.)
  2. Ils fortifièrent leur position avant l’attaque. (They strengthened their position before the attack.)
  3. Elle fortifia son système immunitaire en prenant des vitamines. (She fortified her immune system by taking vitamins.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal or literary French, and in most spoken contexts, the Passé Composé tense is preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fortifiai J’ai fortifié la forteresse. I fortified the fortress.
Tu fortifias Tu as fortifié tes défenses. You fortified your defenses.
Il fortifia Il a fortifié la position. He fortified the position.
Elle fortifia Elle a fortifié les murailles. She fortified the walls.
On fortifia On a fortifié le château. One fortified the castle.
Nous fortifiâmes Nous avons fortifié la frontière. We fortified the border.
Vous fortifiâtes Vous avez fortifié la ville. You fortified the city.
Ils fortifièrent Ils ont fortifié le campement. They fortified the encampment.
Elles fortifièrent Elles ont fortifié la tour. They (feminine) fortified the tower.

Other Conjugations for Fortifier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fortifier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fortifier – 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.

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