The Verb Tense That Unlocks French Novels
Recognizing the passé simple with Maupassant
You're reading a French novel. You recognize most of the words. But somehow, the story doesn't quite click. Sound familiar? The problem probably isn't your vocabulary.
It’s the passé simple.
Not because you need to use it.
But because you need to recognize it instantly while reading.
This lesson will show you how.
Femme à l’ombrelle tournée vers la gauche - Claude Monnet - Musée d’Orsay
Why the passé simple blocks fluent reading
In written French, the passé simple replaces the passé composé of conversation.
If you don’t recognize it:
reading slows down
you reread sentences
the narrative loses momentum
If you do recognize it:
actions become clear
the story flows naturally
reading becomes enjoyable again
This is a reading skill, not a grammar exercise.
Before any explanation, read this opening passage from Une vie by Guy de Maupassant (1883).
Don’t try to understand every word.
Simply notice how the actions are told.
Puis, elle s’aperçut qu’elle avait oublié de mettre son calendrier dans son sac de voyage. Elle cueillit sur le mur le petit carton divisé par mois, et portant au milieu d’un dessin la date de l’année courante, 1819, en chiffres d’or. Puis, elle biffa à coups de crayon les quatre premières colonnes, rayant chaque nom de saint jusqu’au 2 mai, jour de sa sortie du couvent.
Une voix, derrière la porte, appela : « Jeannette ! »
Jeanne répondit : « Entre, papa. » Et son père parut.”
You don’t need to analyze the whole text yet.
Just focus on these few verbs:
s’aperçut → elle s’est aperçue
cueillit → elle a cueilli
parut → il est apparu
These verbs carry the main actions of the story.
Once your brain starts spotting them, reading becomes much easier. And this is exactly where most learners stop progressing on their own.
🔒 Premium access only
You’ve seen how recognizing the passé simple changes the reading experience.
Premium subscribers continue with:
📖 The complete analysis of the Maupassant passage
→ every passé simple verb explained and reformulated
📘 The Passé Simple Handbook (PDF)
→ key endings, frequent irregular verbs, and recognition tips
🎮 The interactive app “Passé Simple Spotter”
→ progressive training with hundreds of real forms
Unlock the rest of the lesson — and read Maupassant with full clarity.
Preferential access with an exclusive 20% reduction on annual plans (5 days).
Lisez d’abord ce bel extrait qui ouvre le roman. Jeanne, tout juste sortie du couvent, attend avec impatience le départ pour la campagne normande...
“Jeanne, ayant fini ses malles, s’approcha de la fenêtre, mais la pluie ne cessait pas.
