Passé simple - Pronominal

26C.1

Pronominal essentiel – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix E - Le Pronominal 'essentiel')

Sujet  +  (me-m', te-t', se-s', nous, vous, se-s',)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.1

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin / féminin singulier)

Le garçon se souvint du voyage.

– Il se souvint du voyage. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

La fille se souvint du voyage.

– Elle se souvint du voyage. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The boy/girl/He/She did remember the voyage/trip. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The boy/girl/He/She remembered the voyage/trip.

Example 2 (masculin singulier)

Le garçon s'absenta.

– Il s'absenta. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The boy was absent. – He was absent. (For one or more periods of time)

Example 3 (féminin singulier)

La fille s'absenta.

– Elle s'absenta. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The girl was absent. – She was absent. (For one or more periods of time)

26C.2

Pronominal à sens idiomatique – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix F - Le Pronominal à sens idiomatique)

Sujet  +  (me-m', te-t', se-s', nous, vous, se-s',)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.2

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin singulier)

Le directeur se trompa.

– Il se trompa. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The (male) director/principal did make a mistake.

– He did make a mistake. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The (male) director/principal made a mistake.

– He made a mistake.

Example 2 (féminin singulier)

La directrice se trompa.

– Elle se trompa. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The (female) director/principal did make a mistake.

– She did make a mistake. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The (female) director/principal made a mistake.

– She made a mistake.

26C.3

Pronominal réfléchi direct – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix G - Le Pronominal 'optionnel' ('accidentel'))

Sujet  +  (me-m', te-t', se-s', nous, vous, se-s', – objet direct du verbe principal)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.3

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin singulier)

Le joueur se prépara.

– Il se prépara. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The (male) player did prepare himself.

– He did prepare himself. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The (male) player prepared himself.

– He prepared himself.

Example 2 (féminin singulier)

La joueuse se prépara.

– Elle se prépara. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The (female) player did prepare herself.

– She did prepare herself. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The (female) player prepared herself.

– She prepared herself.

26C.4

Pronominal réfléchi indirect – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix G - Le Pronominal 'optionnel' ('accidentel'))

Sujet  +  (me-m', te-t', se-s', nous, vous, se-s', – objet indirect du verbe principal)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.4

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin singulier)

Le père s'écrivit une note.

– Il s'écrivit une note. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The father did write a note to himself.

– He did write a note to himself. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The father did write himself a note.

– He did write himself a note. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The father wrote a note to himself. – He wrote a note to himself.

The father wrote himself a note. – He wrote himself a note.

Example 2 (féminin singulier)

La mère s'écrivit une note.

– Elle s'écrivit une note. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The mother did write a note to herself.

– She did write a note to herself. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The mother did write herself a note.

– She did write herself a note. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The mother wrote a note to herself. – She wrote a note to herself.

The mother wrote herself a note. – She wrote herself a note.

26C.5

Pronominal réciproque direct – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix G - Le Pronominal 'optionnel' ('accidentel'))

Sujet (pluriel)  +  (nous, vous, se-s', – objet direct du verbe principal)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.5

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin pluriel)

Les deux frères s'appelèrent au téléphone.

– Ils s'appelèrent au téléphone. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The two brothers did call each other on the phone.

– They did call each other on the phone. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The two brothers called each other on the phone. – They called each other on the phone.

Example 2 (féminin pluriel)

Les deux soeurs s'appelèrent au téléphone.

– Elles s'appelèrent au téléphone. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The two sisters did call each other on the phone.

– They did call each other on the phone. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The two sisters called each other on the phone. – They called each other on the phone.

26C.6

Pronominal réciproque indirect – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix G - Le Pronominal 'optionnel' ('accidentel'))

Sujet (pluriel)  +  (nous, vous, se-s', – objet indirect du verbe principal)  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.6

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin pluriel)

Les deux frères se téléphonèrent.

– Ils se téléphonèrent. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The two brothers did phone each other.

– They did phone each other. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The two brothers phoned each other. – They phoned each other.

Example 2 (féminin pluriel)

Les deux soeurs se téléphonèrent.

– Elles se téléphonèrent. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The two sisters did phone each other.

– They did phone each other. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The two sisters phoned each other. – They phoned each other.

26C.7

Pronominal passif – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix H - Le Pronominal passif et impersonnel)

Sujet (nom ou pronom, inanimé, – objet direct du verbe principal)  +  se-s'  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)

26C.7

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin singulier)

Le match de hockey se joua à l'aréna.

– Il se joua à l'aréna. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The hockey match did get played at the arena.

– It did get played at the arena. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The hockey match got played at the arena. – It got played at the arena.

The hockey match was played at the arena. – It was played at the arena.

Example 2 (féminin singulier)

La partie de hockey se joua à l'aréna.

– Elle se joua à l'aréna. (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

The hockey game did get played at the arena.

– It did get played at the arena. (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

The hockey game got played at the arena. – It got played at the arena.

The hockey game was played at the arena. – It was played at the arena.

26C.8

Pronominal impersonnel (passif) – (Passé simple) (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

(Appendix H - Le Pronominal passif et impersonnel)

Il (sens impersonnel)  +  se-s'  +  verbe principal (Passé simple)  +  objet direct du verbe principal

26C.8

Examples:

Example 1 (masculin singulier)

Il se dit bien des choses au sujet de la nouvelle politique! (Literary tense, rarely used in speaking)

Many things did get said about the new policy! (for emphasis, negative, or asking a question)

Many things were said about the new policy!