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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alléger

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The English translation of the French verb “alléger” is “to lighten” or “to alleviate.” The infinitive form “alléger” is pronounced as /a.le.ʒe/.

“Alléger” is derived from the Latin word “leviare,” meaning “to lighten” or “to relieve.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, although this tense is less frequently used in spoken language.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. J’allégeai le fardeau sur mes épaules. (I lightened the burden on my shoulders.)
  2. Il allégea les règles pour faciliter l’accès aux ressources. (He alleviated the rules to make resource access easier.)
  3. Elle allégea la recette en utilisant moins de sucre. (She lightened the recipe by using less sugar.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je allégeai J’allégeai le fardeau. I lightened the burden.
Tu allégeas Tu allégeas le sac. You lightened the bag.
Il allégea Il allégea ses responsabilités. He lightened his responsibilities.
Elle allégea Elle allégea la charge. She lightened the load.
On allégea On allégea la tâche. One lightened the task.
Nous allégeâmes Nous allégeâmes les règles. We lightened the rules.
Vous allégeâtes Vous allégeâtes le programme. You lightened the schedule.
Ils allégèrent Ils allégèrent les contraintes. They lightened the constraints.
Elles allégèrent Elles allégèrent le poids. They (feminine) lightened the weight.

Other Conjugations for Alléger.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alléger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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