Écrivîtes

Écrivîtes is a verb form in French. It is the second-person plural of the passé simple (simple past) of the verb écrire, used in literary or formal narrative to address a group. The form is écrivirent? Wait, no. The correct passé simple conjugation of écrire is: j’écrivis, tu écrivis, il écrivit, nous écrivîmes, vous écrivîtes, ils écrivirent. Therefore, écrire vous form in passé simple is écrivirent? No, you form is "vous écrivîtes." The form "écrivîtes" appears in written past narration.

In summary: écrivîtes is the passé simple, vous form. It belongs to a class of French verb endings that are characteristic of the passé simple for -re and irregular verbs, where the vous ending is -îtes. The verb écrire itself is irregular, with a stem change (écriv-). Other passé simple forms of écrire include j’écrivis, tu écrivis, il écrivit, nous écrivîmes, ils écrivirent.

Usage and style: écrivîtes is predominantly found in literary, historical, or biblical-style texts. In everyday spoken French, the passé composé or the imperfect is normally used instead of the passé simple. As such, écrivîtes signals a formal or narrative register and antiquated tone.

Etymology: écrire comes from Latin scribere, passing through Old French escripre before taking the modern form écrire. The passé simple form reflects historical endings that remain standard in literary French for many verbs.

Examples:

- Vous écrivîtes une longue lettre hier soir.

- Lorsque le roi arriva, vous écrivîtes rapidement les instructions.

See also: écrire; passé simple; conjugation of irregular French verbs.