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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb improuver

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The English translation of the French verb “improuver” is “to improve.” The infinitive form of “improuver” is pronounced as [ɛ̃.pʁu.ve].

The word “improuver” is derived from the Old French word “enprover,” which came from the Latin word “improbo” meaning “to disapprove.” In everyday French, “improuver” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), although this tense is mostly found in written French and formal speech.

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

  1. J’improuvai mes compétences en français. (I improved my French skills.)
  2. Tu improuvas ta technique de danse. (You improved your dance technique.)
  3. Elle improuva son niveau de concentration. (She improved her level of concentration.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been largely replaced by the Passé Composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je improuvai J’improuvai ses compétences. I improved his skills.
Tu improuvas Tu improuvas ta performance. You improved your performance.
Il improuva Il improuva sa méthode. He improved his method.
Elle improuva Elle improuva sa technique. She improved her technique.
On improuva On improuva la situation. One improved the situation.
Nous improuvâmes Nous improuvâmes notre efficacité. We improved our efficiency.
Vous improuvâtes Vous improuvâtes votre travail. You improved your work.
Ils improuvèrent Ils improuvèrent leur communication. They improved their communication.
Elles improuvèrent Elles improuvèrent leur stratégie. They (feminine) improved their strategy.

Other Conjugations for Improuver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb improuver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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