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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fragmenter

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The English translation of the French verb fragmenter is “to fragment” or “to break up”. The infinitive form “fragmenter” is pronounced as [fraɡ.mɑ̃.te].

The verb fragmenter originates from the Latin word “fragmentum” meaning “piece” or “fragment”. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions or events that occurred and were completed in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French and not commonly used in spoken language.

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

  1. Je fragmentai le document en plusieurs parties.
    (I fragmented/broke up the document into several parts.)

  2. Tu fragmentas la sculpture pour la réparer.
    (You fragmented/broke up the sculpture to repair it.)

  3. Il fragmenta sa recherche en plusieurs chapitres.
    (He fragmented/broke up his research into several chapters.)

Please keep in mind that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing such as literature, historical texts, or formal speeches. In everyday spoken French or informal writing, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express completed actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fragmentai J’ai fragmenté le document. I fragmented the document.
Tu fragmentas Tu as fragmenté la sculpture. You fragmented the sculpture.
Il fragmenta Il a fragmenté la pièce. He fragmented the room.
Elle fragmenta Elle a fragmenté l’image. She fragmented the image.
On fragmenta On a fragmenté le texte. One fragmented the text.
Nous fragmentâmes Nous avons fragmenté le projet. We fragmented the project.
Vous fragmentâtes Vous avez fragmenté le verre. You fragmented the glass.
Ils fragmentèrent Ils ont fragmenté le tableau. They fragmented the painting.
Elles fragmentèrent Elles ont fragmenté la musique. They (feminine) fragmented the music.

Other Conjugations for Fragmenter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fragmenter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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