Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Introduction to the verb hésiter
The English translation of the French verb “hésiter” is “to hesitate.” The infinitive form “hésiter” is pronounced as “ay-zeetay.”
The word “hésiter” originates from the Latin word “haesitare,” which means “to be undecided.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language but is mostly found in formal writing or literature. However, it is important to understand its usage.
Here are three simple examples of “hésiter” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:
-
Il hésita avant de prendre une décision.
(He hesitated before making a decision.) -
Nous hésitâmes à accepter leur offre.
(We hesitated to accept their offer.) -
Les joueurs hésitèrent un instant avant de tirer le penalty.
(The players hesitated for a moment before taking the penalty kick.)
Please note that in contemporary French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions and events.
Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of hésiter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
Je | hésitai | J’hésitai avant de répondre. | I hesitated before answering. |
Tu | hésitas | Tu hésitas un moment. | You hesitated for a moment. |
Il | hésita | Il hésita à prendre une décision. | He hesitated to make a decision. |
Elle | hésita | Elle hésita avant de partir. | She hesitated before leaving. |
On | hésita | On hésita à agir. | One hesitated to act. |
Nous | hésitâmes | Nous hésitâmes longtemps. | We hesitated for a long time. |
Vous | hésitâtes | Vous hésitâtes à prendre position. | You hesitated to take a stand. |
Ils | hésitèrent | Ils hésitèrent avant de s’engager. | They hesitated before committing. |
Elles | hésitèrent | Elles hésitèrent à accepter. | They (feminine) hesitated to accept. |
Other Conjugations for Hésiter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hésiter
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Hésiter – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense
Formation
Usage
Narration
Historical Context
Interactions with other tenses
Passé Composé
Imparfait
Conditional and Subjunctive
Summary
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