Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abandonner

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The English translation of the French verb “abandonner” is “to abandon” or “to give up.” The infinitive form “abandonner” is pronounced as ah-bahn-doh-neh.

The verb “abandonner” originated from the Latin word “abandonare,” which means “to leave behind.” In everyday French, “abandonner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions or events that occurred in the past. However, it’s important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts, while the French tend to use the Passé Composé (Present Perfect) tense in spoken language for past events.

Here are three simple examples of “abandonner” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il abandonna ses rêves et trouva un emploi stable.
    (He abandoned/gave up his dreams and found a stable job.)

  2. Elle abandonna ses études pour se consacrer à sa famille.
    (She gave up her studies to focus on her family.)

  3. L’équipe abandonna le match après le premier but encaissé.
    (The team abandoned the game after conceding the first goal.)

Please note that while these examples showcase the use of “abandonner” in the Passé Simple tense, it is more common to use the Passé Composé tense in everyday spoken French to talk about past events.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of abandonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je abandonnai J’abandonnai mes études. I abandoned my studies.
Tu abandonnas Tu abandonnas tes responsabilités. You abandoned your responsibilities.
Il abandonna Il abandonna le projet. He abandoned the project.
Elle abandonna Elle abandonna sa voiture. She abandoned her car.
On abandonna On abandonna l’idée. One abandoned the idea.
Nous abandonnâmes Nous abandonnâmes nos rêves. We abandoned our dreams.
Vous abandonnâtes Vous abandonnâtes le combat. You abandoned the fight.
Ils abandonnèrent Ils abandonnèrent la partie. They abandoned the game.
Elles abandonnèrent Elles abandonnèrent leurs projets. They (feminine) abandoned their projects.

Other Conjugations for Abandonner.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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Abandonner – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb abandonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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