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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb imprimer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of imprimer. 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 “imprimer” is “to print.” The infinitive form of “imprimer” is pronounced as “ahn-pre-may.”

The word “imprimer” comes from the Latin verb “imprimere,” which means “to press.” It entered the French language during the Middle Ages. In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is no longer commonly used in spoken language but is mainly found in written literature, particularly in narrative texts. The Passé Simple tense is used to describe completed actions in the past.

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

  1. J’imprimai mon rapport et le remis au directeur.
    (I printed my report and handed it to the director.)

  2. L’entreprise imprima un nouveau catalogue l’année dernière.
    (The company printed a new catalog last year.)

  3. Les journaux imprimèrent les nouvelles du jour en première page.
    (The newspapers printed the news of the day on the front page.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je imprimai J’imprimai le document. I printed the document.
Tu imprimas Tu imprimas la photo. You printed the photo.
Il imprima Il imprima le rapport. He printed the report.
Elle imprima Elle imprima les invitations. She printed the invitations.
On imprima On imprima les billets. One printed the tickets.
Nous imprimâmes Nous imprimâmes les affiches. We printed the posters.
Vous imprimâtes Vous imprimâtes les cartes. You printed the cards.
Ils imprimèrent Ils imprimèrent les brochures. They printed the brochures.
Elles imprimèrent Elles imprimèrent les étiquettes. They (feminine) printed the labels.

Other Conjugations for Imprimer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb imprimer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 imprimer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply