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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb handicaper

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The English translation of the French verb “handicaper” is “to handicap” or “to hinder.” The infinitive form of “handicaper” is pronounced as “ahn-dee-kah-pey.”

The verb “handicaper” is derived from the noun “handicap,” which entered the French language in the 19th century from the English word “handicap.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the act of impeding or hindering someone or something.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) in French, “handicaper” takes the following conjugations:

  • J’handicapai (I handicapped)
  • Tu handicapas (You handicapped)
  • Il/Elle handicap(a) (He/She handicapped)
  • Nous handicapâmes (We handicapped)
  • Vous handicapâtes (You handicapped)
  • Ils/Elles handicapèrent (They handicapped)

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

  1. Hier, je handicapai mon équipe en faisant une erreur. (Yesterday, I handicapped my team by making a mistake.)
  2. Tu handicapas la compétition en ne te présentant pas. (You handicapped the competition by not showing up.)
  3. Les conditions météorologiques handicapèrent la course. (The weather conditions handicapped the race.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature and formal writing, and is less commonly used in everyday spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je handicapai J’handicapai mon adversaire. I handicapped my opponent.
Tu handicapas Tu handicapas l’équipe adverse. You handicapped the opposing team.
Il handicapa Il handicapa son rival. He handicapped his rival.
Elle handicapa Elle handicapa sa sœur. She handicapped her sister.
On handicapa On handicapa le joueur. One handicapped the player.
Nous handicapâmes Nous handicapâmes les chevaux. We handicapped the horses.
Vous handicapâtes Vous handicapâtes votre équipe. You handicapped your team.
Ils handicapèrent Ils handicapèrent les concurrents. They handicapped the competitors.
Elles handicapèrent Elles handicapèrent l’adversaire. They (feminine) handicapped the opponent.

Other Conjugations for Handicaper.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb handicaper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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