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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb herser

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The English translation of the French verb “herser” is “to harrow.” The infinitive form “herser” is pronounced as “ehr-zay.”

The verb “herser” comes from the Latin word “rastrare,” which means “to rake.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions that are completed and occurred at a specific point in time.

Three simple examples of “herser” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations are:

  1. Il hersa les champs toute la journée. (He harrowed the fields all day.)
  2. Nous hersâmes le sol avant de semer les graines. (We harrowed the soil before sowing the seeds.)
  3. Les agriculteurs hersèrent le terrain pour préparer la plantation. (The farmers harrowed the land to prepare for planting.)

These examples showcase the use of “herser” in the Simple Past tense to describe actions related to agriculture or land preparation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hersai J’hersai les champs. I harrowed the fields.
Tu hersas Tu hersas le sol. You harrowed the ground.
Il hersa Il hersa le jardin. He harrowed the garden.
Elle hersa Elle hersa le champ. She harrowed the field.
On hersa On hersa la terre. One harrowed the land.
Nous hersâmes Nous hersâmes les jardins. We harrowed the gardens.
Vous hersâtes Vous hersâtes le terrain. You harrowed the land.
Ils hersèrent Ils hersèrent les champs. They harrowed the fields.
Elles hersèrent Elles hersèrent les vignes. They (feminine) harrowed the vineyards.

Other Conjugations for Herser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb herser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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