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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb hérissonner

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The English translation of the French verb “hérissonner” is “to bristle” or “to stand on end.” The infinitive form of “hérissonner” is pronounced as “ay-ree-son-ay.”

The word “hérissonner” comes from the noun “hérisson,” which means “hedgehog” in English. The verb is derived from the image of a hedgehog raising its spines, thus referring to something that stands on end or becomes spiky.

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language and is mainly found in literature or formal writing. However, here are three examples of “hérissonner” in the Passé Simple tense and their English translations:

  1. Les cheveux de Marie hérissonnèrent lorsqu’elle entendit la terrible nouvelle.
    Translation: Marie’s hair bristled when she heard the terrible news.

  2. Le chien se hérissonna quand il aperçut le chat du voisin dans le jardin.
    Translation: The dog bristled when it saw the neighbor’s cat in the garden.

  3. Les spectateurs hérissonnèrent de peur lorsque le monstre apparut à l’écran.
    Translation: The spectators stood on end with fear when the monster appeared on the screen.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hérissonnai Je hérissonnai mes cheveux. I spiked my hair.
Tu hérissonnas Tu hérissonnas ta peau. You made your skin bristle.
Il hérissonna Il hérissonna ses poils. He made his fur stand up.
Elle hérissonna Elle hérissonna sa crinière. She made her mane bristle.
On hérissonna On hérissonna ses plumes. One made its feathers stand up.
Nous hérissonnâmes Nous hérissonnâmes nos épaules. We made our shoulders bristle.
Vous hérissonnâtes Vous hérissonnâtes votre barbe. You made your beard bristle.
Ils hérissonnèrent Ils hérissonnèrent leur peau. They made their skin bristle.
Elles hérissonnèrent Elles hérissonnèrent leur fourrure. They (feminine) made their fur stand up.

Other Conjugations for Hérissonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hérissonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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