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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb hancher

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The English translation of the French verb “hancher” is “to sway” or “to limp.” The infinitive form “hancher” is pronounced as “ah-shay.”

The verb “hancher” has its origin in the Old French word “hanchier,” which means “to limp.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal writing such as literature, historical accounts, or formal presentations.

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

  1. Il hancha vers la porte.
    (He swayed towards the door.)

  2. Elle hancha légèrement en descendant les escaliers.
    (She limped slightly while going down the stairs.)

  3. L’athlète hancha après avoir été blessé à la cheville.
    (The athlete limped after injuring his ankle.)

It is worth mentioning that in everyday spoken French, the compound past tense (Passé Composé) is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hanchai J’hanchai la porte. I hinged the door.
Tu hanchas Tu hanchas la fenêtre. You hinged the window.
Il hancha Il hancha le volet. He hinged the shutter.
Elle hancha Elle hancha la porte. She hinged the door.
On hancha On hancha la porte. One hinged the door.
Nous hanchâmes Nous hanchâmes la porte. We hinged the door.
Vous hanchâtes Vous hanchâtes la fenêtre. You hinged the window.
Ils hanchèrent Ils hanchèrent la fenêtre. They hinged the window.
Elles hanchèrent Elles hanchèrent la porte. They (feminine) hinged the door.

Other Conjugations for Hancher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hancher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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