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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abjurer

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The English translation of the French verb “abjurer” is “to renounce.” The infinitive form “abjurer” is pronounced as “ah-bzhoo-ray.”

The word “abjurer” originates from the Latin verb “abiurare,” which means “to deny under oath.” In everyday French, “abjurer” is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to a formal renouncement or oath-taking that occurred in the past.

Three examples of “abjurer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Il abjura ses croyances religieuses. (He renounced his religious beliefs.)
  2. Elle abjura sa nationalité pour obtenir la citoyenneté étrangère. (She renounced her nationality to obtain foreign citizenship.)
  3. Ils abjurèrent leur allégeance à leur ancien chef. (They renounced their allegiance to their former leader.)

In these examples, “abjurer” is used to describe significant acts of renunciation or denial that took place in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je abjurai J’abjurai mes anciennes croyances. I renounced my old beliefs.
Tu abjuras Tu abjuras tes erreurs. You renounced your mistakes.
Il abjura Il abjura sa foi. He renounced his faith.
Elle abjura Elle abjura ses convictions politiques. She renounced her political beliefs.
On abjura On abjura toute association avec le parti. One renounced any association with the party.
Nous abjurâmes Nous abjurâmes nos alliances. We renounced our alliances.
Vous abjurâtes Vous abjurâtes votre loyauté. You renounced your loyalty.
Ils abjurèrent Ils abjurèrent leur passé. They renounced their past.
Elles abjurèrent Elles abjurèrent leurs coutumes. They (feminine) renounced their customs.

Other Conjugations for Abjurer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abjurer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abjurer – 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.

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