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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb habituer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of habituer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “habituer” is “to accustom” or “to get used to.” The infinitive form “habituer” is pronounced as ah-bee-tyoo-ay.

The verb “habituer” has Latin origins, derived from the word “habitualis,” meaning habitual or customary. In everyday French, the verb “habituer” is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or habits that are no longer ongoing.

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

  1. Elle habitua son chien à obéir en quelques semaines. (She accustomed her dog to obey in a few weeks.)
  2. Nous nous habituâmes rapidement à notre nouvel environnement. (We quickly got used to our new environment.)
  3. Ils habituèrent leurs enfants à se lever tôt pendant les vacances. (They accustomed their children to waking up early during the holidays.)

These examples demonstrate how the verb “habituer” is used to express the process of becoming accustomed or getting used to a particular situation or habit in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je habituai J’habituai la maison. I got used to the house.
Tu habituas Tu habituas à la routine. You got used to the routine.
Il habitua Il habitua sa famille. He got his family used to it.
Elle habitua Elle habitua son chien au bruit. She got her dog used to the noise.
On habitua On habitua les enfants à l’école. One got the children used to school.
Nous habituâmes Nous habituâmes notre corps à l’effort. We got our bodies used to the effort.
Vous habituâtes Vous habituâtes vos yeux à l’obscurité. You got your eyes used to the darkness.
Ils habituèrent Ils habituèrent leur esprit au changement. They got their minds used to the change.
Elles habituèrent Elles habituèrent leurs oreilles au bruit. They (feminine) got their ears used to the noise.

Other Conjugations for Habituer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb habituer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the habituer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply