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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb frustrer

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The English translation of the French verb “frustrer” is “to frustrate.” The infinitive form “frustrer” is pronounced as “froos-tey.”

Frustrer is derived from the Latin word “frustra” which means “in vain” or “without effect.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in formal writing. However, in spoken French, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

  1. Les problèmes financiers frustrèrent le projet.
    (Financial problems frustrated the project.)

  2. Le manque de temps frustra mes tentatives pour terminer le travail.
    (The lack of time frustrated my attempts to finish the work.)

  3. L’annulation de leur voyage les frustra énormément.
    (The cancellation of their trip frustrated them greatly.)

It’s important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal or written contexts, and in spoken French, the Passé Composé is used more frequently to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je frustrai Je frustrai mes adversaires. I frustrated my opponents.
Tu frustras Tu frustras leurs plans. You frustrated their plans.
Il frustra Il frustra ses fans. He frustrated his fans.
Elle frustra Elle frustra son partenaire. She frustrated her partner.
On frustra On frustra les spectateurs. One frustrated the spectators.
Nous frustrâmes Nous frustrâmes notre entraîneur. We frustrated our coach.
Vous frustrâtes Vous frustrâtes vos concurrents. You frustrated your competitors.
Ils frustrèrent Ils frustrèrent l’équipe adverse. They frustrated the opposing team.
Elles frustrèrent Elles frustrèrent leurs parents. They (feminine) frustrated their parents.

Other Conjugations for Frustrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb frustrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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