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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fretter

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The English translation of the French verb “fretter” is “to worry” or “to fret”. The infinitive form of “fretter” is pronounced as /fʁɛ.te/.

“Fretter” is derived from the Old French word “freter” which meant “to eat,” and later evolved to mean “to be consumed by worries or anxiety.” It is commonly used in everyday French to express feelings of unease, anxiety, or worry about a specific situation or problem.

In the passé simple (simple past) tense, “fretter” is less commonly used in everyday speech, as this tense is mainly employed in formal or written contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the passé simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fretta toute la nuit. (He worried all night.)
  2. Elle fretta à propos de son examen. (She fretted about her exam.)
  3. Ils fretterent jusqu’à ce qu’ils obtiennent des nouvelles. (They worried until they received news.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is not frequently used in spoken French, as it has been largely replaced by the compound past tense (passé composé) in everyday conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je frettais Je frettais pour arriver à l’heure. I hurried to arrive on time.
Tu frettas Tu frettas tes bagages. You hurried your luggage.
Il fretta Il fretta son travail. He hurried his work.
Elle fretta Elle fretta sa réponse. She hurried her response.
On fretta On fretta la préparation. One hurried the preparation.
Nous frettâmes Nous frettâmes pour ne pas manquer le train. We hurried so as not to miss the train.
Vous frettâtes Vous frettâtes votre départ. You hurried your departure.
Ils frettèrent Ils frettèrent leur mise en place. They hurried their setup.
Elles frettèrent Elles frettèrent leur déménagement. They (feminine) hurried their move.

Other Conjugations for Fretter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fretter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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