Simple Past or Compound Past
Both pasts name a finished event. Use the compound past to chat about recent events and the simple past to tell a story.
How It Works
| Tense | Where you meet it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| compound past | conversation, recent events | Ièr ai manjat amb Joan. |
| simple past | stories, written accounts | Un còp, mangèron amassa. |
| compound past | conversation | Aqueste matin, me soi levat a sèt oras. |
| simple past | stories | Aquel matin, Maria se levèt a sèt oras. |
Both tenses are real Occitan. A learner who speaks with the compound past alone is understood. The simple past matters when you read: tales and novels use it for the events of the plot.
The imperfect works with both pasts. It sets the scene (Fasiá fred), and either past names the events. The next entry shows how the simple past and the imperfect work together in a story.
When a sentence has ièr, aqueste matin or aquesta setmana, speakers often choose the compound past, though tales use the simple past even with ièr. When it opens with un còp (once) or un jorn (one day), expect the simple past.
Examples (4)
- Ièr ai manjat amb Joan.
Yesterday I ate with Joan.
The compound past suits a chat about yesterday.
- Un còp, mangèron amassa.
Once, they ate together.
The simple past suits a tale.
- Aqueste matin, me soi levat a sèt oras.
This morning I got up at seven.
A recent event, so the compound past with soi.
- Aquel matin, Maria se levèt a sèt oras.
That morning, Maria got up at seven.
The same kind of event told as a story, in the simple past.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Choosing between the simple past and the compound past needs both, so the choice between the compound past and the imperfect and the simple past come first.
- Compound Past or Imperfect
Know the choice between the compound past and the imperfect, because the compound past is the other past in this contrast: Ièr ai manjat amb Joan.
Level 3 - Simple Past of -ar Verbs
Know the simple past, because the contrast is with it: Joan trobèt una clau dins la carrièra.
Level 4
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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