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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb impressionner

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The English translation of the French verb “impressionner” is “to impress.” The infinitive form, “impressionner,” is pronounced as [ɛ̃pʁesjɔne].

The word “impressionner” comes from the French noun “impression,” which means “impression.” It originates from the Latin word “impressio,” meaning “imprint” or “impression.” In everyday French, “impressionner” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense when referring to actions or events that occurred in the past, especially in written form.

Here are three examples of “impressionner” used in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. Il impressionna tout le monde avec sa performance.
    (He impressed everyone with his performance.)

  2. La beauté de ce paysage m’impressionna profondément.
    (The beauty of this landscape impressed me deeply.)

  3. Le discours du président les impressionna énormément.
    (The president’s speech impressed them greatly.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal or literary writing, and in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is preferred to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je impressionnai J’impressionnai le public. I impressed the audience.
Tu impressionnas Tu impressionnas ta professeure. You impressed your teacher.
Il impressionna Il impressionna ses amis. He impressed his friends.
Elle impressionna Elle impressionna ses collègues. She impressed her colleagues.
On impressionna On impressionna tout le monde. One impressed everyone.
Nous impressionnâmes Nous impressionnâmes nos invités. We impressed our guests.
Vous impressionnâtes Vous impressionnâtes le jury. You impressed the jury.
Ils impressionnèrent Ils impressionnèrent les juges. They impressed the judges.
Elles impressionnèrent Elles impressionnèrent les spectateurs. They (feminine) impressed the spectators.

Other Conjugations for Impressionner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impressionner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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