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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb harpailler

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The English translation of the French verb “harpailler” is “to squabble.” The infinitive form, “harpailler,” is pronounced as “ahr-pah-yay.”

The word “harpailler” comes from the Old French verb “harpe,” which means “to pluck.” It evolved into “harpailler” in the 16th century with the meaning of “to argue, to bicker.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in formal writing and storytelling.

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

  1. Les voisins harpaillèrent toute la nuit. (The neighbors squabbled all night.)
  2. Les enfants harpaillèrent pour le dernier morceau de gâteau. (The children squabbled over the last piece of cake.)
  3. Les politiciens harpaillèrent lors du débat. (The politicians squabbled during the debate.)

Overall, “harpailler” is used to describe situations where people engage in heated arguments or disputes, often over trivial matters.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je harpaillai J’harpaillai les vaches. I rounded up the cows.
Tu harpaillas Tu harpaillas les moutons. You rounded up the sheep.
Il harpailla Il harpailla les poules. He rounded up the chickens.
Elle harpailla Elle harpailla les canards. She rounded up the ducks.
On harpailla On harpailla les chevaux. One rounded up the horses.
Nous harpaillâmes Nous harpaillâmes les animaux. We rounded up the animals.
Vous harpaillâtes Vous harpaillâtes les chiens. You rounded up the dogs.
Ils harpaillèrent Ils harpaillèrent les cochons. They rounded up the pigs.
Elles harpaillèrent Elles harpaillèrent les oies. They (feminine) rounded up the geese.

Other Conjugations for Harpailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb harpailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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