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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fourber

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The English translation of the French verb “fourber” is “to deceive” or “to trick.” The infinitive form of fourber is pronounced as “foor-bey.”

The word “fourber” has its origins in the Latin term “fur,” which means “thief.” In everyday French, the verb “fourber” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that happened in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in written literature.

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

  1. Il fourbit son plan avant d’agir.
    (He deceived/tricked his plan before acting.)
  2. Elle les fourbe en leur faisant de fausses promesses.
    (She deceived/tricked them by making false promises.)
  3. Les voleurs fourbirent leur stratégie en secret.
    (The thieves deceived/tricked their strategy in secret.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate, as the exact translation may vary depending on the context.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fourbai Je fourbai mes adversaires. I outwitted my opponents.
Tu fourbas Tu fourbas ton rival. You outwitted your rival.
Il fourba Il fourba un plan. He devised a plan.
Elle fourba Elle fourba une stratégie. She devised a strategy.
On fourba On fourba un stratagème. One devised a scheme.
Nous fourbâmes Nous fourbâmes nos armes. We sharpened our weapons.
Vous fourbâtes Vous fourbâtes vos couteaux. You sharpened your knives.
Ils fourbirent Ils fourbirent leur épée. They sharpened their sword.
Elles fourbirent Elles fourbirent leurs dagues. They (feminine) sharpened their daggers.

Other Conjugations for Fourber.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fourber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fourber – 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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