How do you know when to use passé simple and when to use passé composé?

Passé composé is a form of past which used to express a past action which affects the present moment. Passé simple is a form of past tense which describes an action which is SIMPLY past, meaning that this action does not affect the present as much.For instance:Je mangeai une pomme avant de partir de chez moi.Je n'ai plus faim car j'ai mangé une pomme.In the first sentence, I am simply describing actions in the past, and explaining that I had an apple before leaving my place. All the actions are in the past and there is no relation with the present when using the verb "to eat".In the second sentence, as I am mentioning that I am not hungry anymore, and this because I had an apple, it implies I just had the apple and the act of "eating" it made me not hungry anymore, so therefore has a relation with the present. So I used passé composé.

JL
Answered by Jeanne L. French tutor

2172 Views

See similar French A Level tutors

Related French A Level answers

All answers ▸

How do we conjugate the verbs at the future ?


Pourquoi est-ce que la musique est si populaire ? A votre avis, l’influence de la musique, est-elle positive ou négative ?


How do I differentiate between the Imperfect Tense (Imparfait) and the Past Tense (Passé Composé)?


How can I improve my French without actually trying?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences