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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fracasser

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The English translation of the French verb “fracasser” is “to smash” or “to shatter.” The infinitive form of “fracasser” is pronounced as [fra.ka.se].

The word “fracasser” has its origins in the Latin verb “frangere,” which means “to break.” In everyday French, “fracasser” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), although this tense is mostly used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts.

Examples of “fracasser” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations, could be:

  1. Le cycliste fracassa son vélo contre le mur.
    (The cyclist smashed his bike against the wall.)

  2. Elle fracassa la fenêtre avec un marteau.
    (She shattered the window with a hammer.)

  3. Les vagues fracassèrent les rochers avec force.
    (The waves smashed against the rocks with force.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fracassai J’ai fracassé la porte. I smashed the door.
Tu fracassas Tu fracassas la bouteille. You smashed the bottle.
Il fracassa Il fracassa la fenêtre. He smashed the window.
Elle fracassa Elle fracassa la voiture. She smashed the car.
On fracassa On fracassa le miroir. One smashed the mirror.
Nous fracassâmes Nous fracassâmes les assiettes. We smashed the plates.
Vous fracassâtes Vous fracassâtes le vase. You smashed the vase.
Ils fracassèrent Ils fracassèrent la table. They smashed the table.
Elles fracassèrent Elles fracassèrent le mur. They (feminine) smashed the wall.

Other Conjugations for Fracasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fracasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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