All er Verbs Passé Simple Conjugation [+6 Examples]

In this French grammar lesson you will learn about the er verbs passé simple conjugation.

In this lesson you will learn about:

• how -er verbs are conjugated in French
• the -er verbs in French
• how -er verbs are used in sentences in French
• how you can quiz yourself on -er verbs passé simple conjugations
• how to practice with flashcards on -er verbs passé simple conjugation
• how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French

Please refer to the French C1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French C1.

By the end of the lesson you will know all about the er verbs passé simple conjugation!

er Verbs Passé Simple Conjugation Table

Regular -er Verbs Conjugation Method

This section will show you how regular -er verbs are conjugated in the passé simple.

There is a two step method that will make everything very easy for you.

In order to conjugate regular verbs that end with -er in the passé simple one must:

1. Find the stem of the verb (verb minus the -er ending)
2. Add the new ending (ai, as, a, âmes, âtes, èrent)

The verb parler means “to speak” in English.

We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the two step method.

1. parl

The stem of parler is parl.

2. parlai

When you add the ai ending you get parlai.

So, the je form of parler in the passé simple is:

je parlai

Ger Verbs Conjugation Method

Conjugating -ger verbs in the passé simple is a little bit different.

1. Find the stem of the verb (verb minus the -er ending)
2. Add the new ending (eai, eas, ea, eâmes, eâtes, eèrent)

As you can see, you add an e before all of the new endings.

The verb manger means “to eat” in English.

We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the two step method.

1. mang

The stem of manger is mang.

2. mangeai

When you add the eai ending you get mangeai.

So, the je form of manger in the passé simple is:

je mangeai

Cer Verbs Conjugation Method

Conjugating -cer verbs in the passé simple is also a little bit different.

1. Find the stem of the verb (verb minus the -cer ending)
2. Add the new ending (çai, ças, ça, çâmes, çâtes, çèrent)

As you can see, you add a ç before all of the new endings.

The verb lancer means “to throw” in English.

We will take this verb and conjugate it in the “je” form using the two step method.

1. lan

The stem of lancer is lan.

2. lançai

When you add the çai ending you get lançai.

So, the je form of lancer in the passé simple is:

je lançai

Common Regular -er Verbs

French has three regular verb groups

• regular -er verbs
• regular -ir verbs
• regular -re verbs

The regular -er verbs group is the biggest and most useful group. Most French verbs fall in this group.

Here is a list of common verbs that you are sure to encounter in day-to-day life:

Example Sentences with er Verbs Passé Simple Conjugations

The final section of this lesson on er verbs passé simple conjugations is about seeing the verbs in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on er verbs passé simple conjugations through examples.

parler

Lorsqu’il parla, tout le monde devint silencieux.

When he spoke, everyone became silent.

regarder

Nous regardâmes la télévision après le déjeuner.

We watched TV after lunch.

habiter

Ils habitèrent en Espagne pendant trois ans.

They lived in Spain for three years.

manger

Je mangeai tes fraises, parce que mes parents mangèrent mes fraises.

I ate your strawberries because my parents ate my strawberries.

lancer

Paul lança la balle au receveur, tandis que les autres garçons lancèrent la balle au voltigeur.

Paul threw the ball at the catcher, while the other boys threw the ball at the outfielder.

Quiz Yourself on er Verbs Passé Simple Conjugations

At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.

You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.

You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.

Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.

You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!

How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson

Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!

It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.

Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information.

There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.

1. Anki
2. The Flashcards in our Courses

After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French C1 Anki Deck.

This Anki Deck contains 412 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French C1.

All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.

You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!

However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?

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