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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb harder

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of harder. 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 “harder” is “to tighten” or “to fasten.” The infinitive form of “harder” is “serrer,” pronounced as seh-reh.

In its language origin, “harder” comes from the Old French verb “serrer,” which evolved from the Latin verb “serrare,” meaning “to close” or “to lock.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is no longer commonly used in spoken language. However, it is still found in written literature, historical texts, or formal writing. The Passé Simple tense describes completed actions in the past.

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

  1. Elle serra son ami dans ses bras.
    (She tightened/firmed her friend in her arms.)
  2. Il serra les cordes pour fixer la tente.
    (He tightened/fastened the ropes to secure the tent.)
  3. Nous serrâmes les mains pour nous dire au revoir.
    (We shook hands to say goodbye.)

Please note that the usage of the Passé Simple tense is more common in literary or formal contexts, while the Passé Composé or Imparfait tenses are usually used in everyday spoken French to express actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hardis Je hardis le travail. I worked harder.
Tu hardis Tu hardis toute la journée. You worked harder all day.
Il hardit Il hardit son effort. He worked harder.
Elle hardit Elle hardit ses études. She worked harder in her studies.
On hardit On hardit la préparation. One worked harder on the preparation.
Nous hardîmes Nous hardîmes notre position. We worked harder on our position.
Vous hardîtes Vous hardîtes l’effort. You worked harder.
Ils hardirent Ils hardirent le projet. They worked harder on the project.
Elles hardirent Elles hardirent cet exercice. They (feminine) worked harder on this exercise.

Other Conjugations for Harder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb harder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 harder Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply