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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fourmiller

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of fourmiller. 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 “fourmiller” is “to teem” or “to swarm.” The infinitive form of “fourmiller” is pronounced as “foor-mee-yay.”

The word “fourmiller” comes from the French noun “fourmi” meaning “ant.” It is often used in everyday French to describe a large number of people or things moving around in a lively and busy way, similar to ants swarming.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “fourmiller” is used to describe past actions or events that occurred once and were completed. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les rues fourmillèrent de touristes pendant les vacances.
    (The streets teemed with tourists during the holidays.)

  2. Le parc fourmilla d’enfants jouant au football.
    (The park swarmed with children playing soccer.)

  3. Les idées lui fourmillèrent l’esprit lorsqu’il contemplait la nature.
    (Ideas teemed in his mind as he contemplated nature.)

The usage of “fourmiller” in the Passé Simple tense helps convey vivid imagery of a bustling and lively situation in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fourmillai J’ai fourmillé d’idées. I was teeming with ideas.
Tu fourmillas Tu as fourmillé de questions. You were teeming with questions.
Il fourmilla Il a fourmillé de monde. He was teeming with people.
Elle fourmilla Elle a fourmillé de projets. She was teeming with projects.
On fourmilla On a fourmillé de problèmes. One was teeming with problems.
Nous fourmillâmes Nous avons fourmillé de créativité. We were teeming with creativity.
Vous fourmillâtes Vous avez fourmillé d’activités. You were teeming with activities.
Ils fourmillèrent Ils ont fourmillé d’énergie. They were teeming with energy.
Elles fourmillèrent Elles ont fourmillé d’idées. They (feminine) were teeming with ideas.

Other Conjugations for Fourmiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fourmiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 fourmiller Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply