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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accepter

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The English translation of the French verb “accepter” is “to accept.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “accepter” in French is /ak.sɛp.te/.

“Accepter” is derived from the Latin word “acceptare,” which means “to receive willingly.” In everyday French, “accepter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense no longer used in spoken language but frequently encountered in written texts such as literature, historical accounts, or news reports.

Here are three examples of “accepter” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Il accepta l’offre sans hésiter.
    (He accepted the offer without hesitation.)

  2. Elle accepta de l’accompagner au concert.
    (She agreed to accompany him to the concert.)

  3. Ils acceptèrent les conditions du contrat.
    (They accepted the terms of the contract.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je acceptai J’acceptai l’invitation. I accepted the invitation.
Tu acceptas Tu acceptas l’offre. You accepted the offer.
Il accepta Il accepta le défi. He accepted the challenge.
Elle accepta Elle accepta la proposition. She accepted the proposal.
On accepta On accepta les règles. One accepted the rules.
Nous acceptâmes Nous acceptâmes la décision. We accepted the decision.
Vous acceptâtes Vous acceptâtes le cadeau. You accepted the gift.
Ils acceptèrent Ils acceptèrent l’excuse. They accepted the apology.
Elles acceptèrent Elles acceptèrent le compromis. They (feminine) accepted the compromise.

Other Conjugations for Accepter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accepter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Accepter – 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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