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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb impatienter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of impatienter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “impatienter” is “to make impatient” or “to irritate”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “impatienter” is [ɛ̃.pa.sjɑ̃.te].

The verb “impatienter” originates from the French word “patienter”, meaning “to wait”. The prefix “im-” transforms the meaning to indicate causing impatience or irritation. In everyday French, “impatienter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to express actions completed in the past. However, it is worth mentioning that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written language and formal contexts, while the Passé Composé is more common in spoken French.

Here are three examples of “impatienter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Le retard du train impatienta les voyageurs.
    (The train delay irritated the travelers.)

  2. Les longues files d’attente impatientèrent les clients.
    (The long queues made the customers impatient.)

  3. Sa façon de parler sans cesse m’impatienta rapidement.
    (His constant way of speaking irritated me quickly.)

Please note that these examples demonstrate the usage of “impatienter” in the Passé Simple tense, which may not be commonly used in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je impatientai J’impatientai devant la porte. I became impatient in front of the door.
Tu impatientas Tu impatientas en attendant. You became impatient while waiting.
Il impatienta Il impatienta de partir. He became impatient to leave.
Elle impatienta Elle impatienta de le voir. She became impatient to see him.
On impatienta On impatienta de savoir. One became impatient to know.
Nous impatientâmes Nous impatientâmes de partir. We became impatient to leave.
Vous impatientâtes Vous impatientâtes de rentrer. You became impatient to go back.
Ils impatientèrent Ils impatientèrent de recevoir des nouvelles. They became impatient to receive news.
Elles impatientèrent Elles impatientèrent de partir. They (feminine) became impatient to leave.

Other Conjugations for Impatienter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impatienter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the impatienter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply