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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb honorer

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The English translation of the French verb “honorer” is “to honor.” The infinitive form of “honorer” is pronounced as “oh-noh-ray.”

The verb “honorer” comes from the Latin word “honorare,” which means “to honor” or “to respect.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language but is more common in written literature or formal contexts. It is often used to describe past events or actions that are completed.

Here are three simple examples of “honorer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’honorai mes parents en leur offrant un voyage surprise.
    (I honored my parents by surprising them with a trip.)

  2. Il honora sa parole et respecta ses engagements.
    (He honored his word and kept his commitments.)

  3. Nous honorâmes la mémoire des victimes en observant une minute de silence.
    (We honored the memory of the victims by observing a minute of silence.)

In these examples, “honorer” is used to express acts of honoring or respecting someone, fulfilling one’s commitments, or paying tribute to someone’s memory.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je honorai J’honorai ma famille. I honored my family.
Tu honoras Tu honoras ton engagement. You honored your commitment.
Il honora Il honora sa parole. He honored his word.
Elle honora Elle honora ses responsabilités. She honored her responsibilities.
On honora On honora ses invités. One honored the guests.
Nous honorâmes Nous honorâmes nos ancêtres. We honored our ancestors.
Vous honorâtes Vous honorâtes votre promesse. You honored your promise.
Ils honorèrent Ils honorèrent leur héritage. They honored their heritage.
Elles honorèrent Elles honorèrent leur professeur. They (feminine) honored their teacher.

Other Conjugations for Honorer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb honorer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Honorer – 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.

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