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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb frouer

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The English translation of the French verb “frouer” is “to rustle” or “to swish.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “frouer” is [fʀu.e].

“Frouer” is derived from the Old French word “froer,” which means “to rub” or “to fray.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used mainly in written French.

Here are three examples of “frouer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Les feuilles frouèrent sous ses pas.
    (The leaves rustled/swished under his steps.)
  2. Le vent froua les rideaux.
    (The wind rustled/swished the curtains.)
  3. Le tissu froua lorsque je le touchai.
    (The fabric rustled/swished when I touched it.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts in modern French. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je frouai Je frouai le papier. I crumpled the paper.
Tu frouas Tu frouas le tissu. You crumpled the fabric.
Il froua Il froua sa chemise. He crumpled his shirt.
Elle froua Elle froua la lettre. She crumpled the letter.
On froua On froua le document. One crumpled the document.
Nous frouâmes Nous frouâmes les feuilles. We crumpled the sheets.
Vous frouâtes Vous frouâtes le document. You crumpled the document.
Ils frouèrent Ils frouèrent les papiers. They crumpled the papers.
Elles frouèrent Elles frouèrent les photos. They (feminine) crumpled the photos.

Other Conjugations for Frouer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb frouer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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