Recognising faire in the historic past in French (Le Passé Simple)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-01-04

When learning French, recognising Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) is very important as it is used in literature and other French writings.

Learn to recognise FAIRE (to do) and their derivatives in Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) in French

Look at these examples:

Je fis mes devoirs pendant qu'elles se préparaient.I did my homework while they were getting ready.

Et toi ? Que fis-tu pendant ce temps ?And you? What did you do during that time?

Bilbon fit très attention à ne pas réveiller le dragon.Bilbo was very careful not to wake the dragon.

Lorsque nous fîmes nos bagages, nous essayâmes d'aller le plus vite possible.When we packed our bags, we tried to go as fast as possible.

Vous fîtes la cuisine pour vingt personnes ce jour-là !You cooked for twenty people that day!

Terrifiés, nos héros firent demi-tour et s'enfuirent en courant.Terrified, our heroes turned around and ran away.

To conjugate faire in Le Passé Simple, here is what to do:

'f-' + endings: -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent

ATTENTION: It's easy to confuse je fis (faire) with je fus (être)!

See the matching lesson: Recognising être in the historic past in French (Le Passé Simple)

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources