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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accorder

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The English translation of the French verb “accorder” is “to grant” or “to give.” The infinitive form of “accorder” is pronounced as [a.kɔʁ.de].

The verb “accorder” comes from the Latin word “accordare,” which means “to agree.” In everyday French, “accorder” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is mainly found in written French. This tense expresses actions completed in the past that are not ongoing or habitual.

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

  1. Il accorda une faveur à son ami. (He granted a favor to his friend.)
  2. Elle lui accorda une seconde chance. (She gave him a second chance.)
  3. Les autorités n’accordèrent pas l’autorisation. (The authorities did not grant the permission.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been largely replaced by the Passé Composé tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je accordai J’accordai la permission. I granted the permission.
Tu accordas Tu accordas le contrat. You granted the contract.
Il accorda Il accorda une faveur. He granted a favor.
Elle accorda Elle accorda son soutien. She granted her support.
On accorda On accorda une réduction. One granted a discount.
Nous accordâmes Nous accordâmes notre confiance. We granted our trust.
Vous accordâtes Vous accordâtes une bourse. You granted a scholarship.
Ils accordèrent Ils accordèrent la permission. They granted the permission.
Elles accordèrent Elles accordèrent une entrevue. They (feminine) granted an interview.

Other Conjugations for Accorder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accorder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Accorder – 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 accorder. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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