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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alléguer

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The English translation of the French verb “alléguer” is “to allege” or “to claim.” The infinitive form “alléguer” is pronounced as “a-le-gue.”

The verb “alléguer” has a Latin origin, derived from the Latin word “alegere,” meaning “to choose” or “to select.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to express an action that took place in the past and is now completed.

Here are three examples of “alléguer” used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les avocats alléguèrent l’innocence de leur client. (The lawyers alleged the innocence of their client.)
  2. Elle allégua qu’elle n’était pas présente lors de l’incident. (She alleged that she was not present during the incident.)
  3. Les témoins alléguèrent avoir vu le suspect sur les lieux du crime. (The witnesses alleged to have seen the suspect at the crime scene.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal or written language, while in spoken or informal French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je alléguai J’alléguai des preuves. I alleged evidence.
Tu alléguas Tu alléguas tes droits. You alleged your rights.
Il allégua Il allégua ses motivations. He alleged his motivations.
Elle allégua Elle allégua son innocence. She alleged her innocence.
On allégua On allégua des faits. One alleged facts.
Nous alléguâmes Nous alléguâmes des témoignages. We alleged testimonies.
Vous alléguâtes Vous alléguâtes des arguments. You alleged arguments.
Ils alléguèrent Ils alléguèrent des raisons. They alleged reasons.
Elles alléguèrent Elles alléguèrent des excuses. They (feminine) alleged excuses.

Other Conjugations for Alléguer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alléguer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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