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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb herscher

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The English translation of the French verb “herscher” is “to rule” or “to reign”. The infinitive form of “herscher” is pronounced as “ehr-shay”.

The word “herscher” comes from the Latin word “herescere”, which means “to rule” or “to govern”. It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of someone having authority or dominion over something or someone.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “herscher” is used to describe past actions or states that were completed and have no connection to the present. Here are three examples of “herscher” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Napoléon herscha sur la France pendant de nombreuses années.
    Translation: Napoleon ruled over France for many years.

  2. Louis XIV herscha en tant que roi de France de 1643 à 1715.
    Translation: Louis XIV reigned as the King of France from 1643 to 1715.

  3. Les dinosaures herschèrent sur Terre il y a des millions d’années.
    Translation: Dinosaurs ruled on Earth millions of years ago.

These examples illustrate the use of “herscher” in the Passé Simple tense to describe historical and completed actions of ruling or reigning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je herschai J’herschai le règne. I reigned.
Tu herschas Tu herschas avec autorité. You reigned with authority.
Il herscha Il herscha sur le pays. He reigned over the country.
Elle herscha Elle herscha avec sagesse. She reigned with wisdom.
On herscha On herscha sur la nation. One reigned over the nation.
Nous herschâmes Nous herschâmes en paix. We reigned in peace.
Vous herschâtes Vous herschâtes avec compétence. You reigned with competence.
Ils herschèrent Ils herschèrent en harmonie. They reigned in harmony.
Elles herschèrent Elles herschèrent avec bonté. They (feminine) reigned with kindness.

Other Conjugations for Herscher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb herscher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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