Introduction

The past historic (passé simple) and the perfect (passé composé) both express the accomplished or completed aspect. However, there are some differences (see below).

The past historic also makes the events ‘stand out’, detaches them from the present more than the perfect does, and both are opposed to the imperfect (imparfait), which describes or comments on them.

The past historic is not easy to conjugate as there are many irregular forms to learn.

Formation

Each verb has the same radical throughout, but there are three sets of endings.

For verbs in ER, the endings are:

For all the other verbs there are two sets of endings, subsequently referred to as endings I or U (but see exceptions in 2.2.2(iii) below):

Verbs in ER

1. (i) The radical is the infinitive of the verb minus ER, the endings are regular, even for aller.

2. (ii) Verbs in -cer or -ger:

3. In order to keep the sound [s] of ‘c’, a cedilla must be added to the ‘c’ before ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’: this rule affects the whole conjugation except the 3rd person plural.

4. In order to keep the sound [3] of ‘g’, an ‘e’ must be added after the ‘g’ before ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’: this rule affects the whole conjugation except the 3rd person plural.