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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fricoter

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The English translation of the French verb “fricoter” is “to fraternize” or “to have an affair.” The infinitive form can be pronounced as \fʁikɔte.

The word “fricoter” comes from the old French word “fricote,” which means “stew” or “dish.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions or events that occurred in the past. However, it is worth noting that the Passé Simple is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts.

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

  1. Il fricota avec sa collègue pendant plusieurs mois.
    (He fraternized with his colleague for several months.)

  2. Elle fricota discrètement avec son voisin avant de se marier.
    (She discreetly had an affair with her neighbor before getting married.)

  3. Les deux chefs d’État fricotèrent dans le dos de leurs alliés.
    (The two heads of state fraternized behind their allies’ backs.)

Please note that the use of the Passé Simple tense may vary depending on the context and the style of writing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je fricotai Je fricotai avec mes amis. I flirted with my friends.
Tu fricotas Tu fricotas avec elle. You flirted with her.
Il fricota Il fricota toute la soirée. He flirted all evening.
Elle fricota Elle fricota avec lui. She flirted with him.
On fricota On fricota dans le club. One flirted in the club.
Nous fricotâmes Nous fricotâmes ensemble. We flirted together.
Vous fricotâtes Vous fricotâtes avec eux. You flirted with them.
Ils fricotèrent Ils fricotèrent avec elles. They flirted with them.
Elles fricotèrent Elles fricotèrent avec eux. They (feminine) flirted with them.

Other Conjugations for Fricoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fricoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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