Verbs ending in -ir or -re in the passé simple in French

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Verbs ending in -ir or -re in the passé simple

Reminder: the passé simple is almost exclusively used in formal and literary French for describing specific or completed past actions.
In the passé simple verbs ending in -IR (finir to finish, sortir to go out, etc.) and most verbs ending in -RE (prendre to take, faire to do/to make, dire to say) are conjugated as follows: -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

finir en
Je finis
Tu finis
Il finit/elle finit
Nous finîmes
Vous finîtes
Ils finirent/elles finirent
prendre en
Je pris
Tu pris
Il prit/elle prit
Nous prîmes
Vous prîtes
Ils prirent/elles prirent
faire en
Je fis
Tu fis
Il fit/elle fit
Nous fîmes
Vous fîtes
Ils firent/elles firent
Ils finirent de travailler à 3 heures du matin. They finished working at 3am.
Note: Some verbs ending in -IR or -RE are irregular. These are the most common ones:

courir en
Je courus
Tu courus
Il courut/elle courut
Nous courûmes
Vous courûtes
Ils coururent/elles coururent
venir en
Je vins
Tu vins
Il vint/elle vint
Nous vînmes
Vous vîntes
Ils vinrent/elles vinrent
boire en
Je bus
Tu bus
Il but/elle but
Nous bûmes
Vous bûtes
Ils burent/elles burent
Marcel courut pour attraper le bus. Marcel ran to catch the bus.

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