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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb héler

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The English translation of the French verb héler is “to hail” or “to call out to.” The infinitive form héler is pronounced as [el.e].

The word héler originated from the Latin verb “exclamare,” meaning “to cry out.” In everyday French, héler is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in formal writing. Although the Passé Simple is not frequently used in spoken French, it is still essential for understanding written texts.

Here are three simple examples of the verb héler used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je hélai le taxi depuis le trottoir.
    (I hailed the taxi from the sidewalk.)

  2. Il hela un passant pour lui demander son chemin.
    (He hailed a passerby to ask for directions.)

  3. Elle héla l’attention du serveur pour commander.
    (She called out to the waiter to place an order.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple is used in formal writing, in spoken French, the passé composé or other compound tenses are commonly used to express the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hélai J’hélai un taxi. I hailed a taxi.
Tu hélas Tu hélas le chauffeur. You hailed the driver.
Il hélait Il hélait les passants. He hailed the passersby.
Elle hélait Elle hélait un taxi. She hailed a taxi.
On hélait On hélait les bus. One hailed the buses.
Nous hélâmes Nous hélâmes un taxi. We hailed a taxi.
Vous hélâtes Vous hélâtes le taxi. You hailed the taxi.
Ils hélèrent Ils hélèrent le taxi. They hailed the taxi.
Elles hélèrent Elles hélèrent un bus. They (feminine) hailed a bus.

Other Conjugations for Héler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb héler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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