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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assigner

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The English translation of the French verb “assigner” is “to assign.” The infinitive form of “assigner” is pronounced as “ah-see-ney.”

Originally derived from the Latin word “assignare,” the French verb “assigner” entered the French language in the 13th century. It is often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary and formal past tense.

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

  1. Le professeur assigna une tâche à chaque élève. (The teacher assigned a task to each student.)
  2. L’entreprise m’assigna à un nouveau projet. (The company assigned me to a new project.)
  3. Le juge assigna le coupable à une peine de prison ferme. (The judge sentenced the guilty party to a prison term.)

In these examples, “assigner” is used to convey actions that occurred in the past and were completed at a specific time.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je assignai J’assignai la tâche. I assigned the task.
Tu assignas Tu assignas le projet. You assigned the project.
Il assigna Il assigna les ressources. He assigned the resources.
Elle assigna Elle assigna la responsabilité. She assigned the responsibility.
On assigna On assigna le poste. One assigned the position.
Nous assignâmes Nous assignâmes les missions. We assigned the missions.
Vous assignâtes Vous assignâtes les devoirs. You assigned the homework.
Ils assignèrent Ils assignèrent les rôles. They assigned the roles.
Elles assignèrent Elles assignèrent la tâche. They (feminine) assigned the task.

Other Conjugations for Assigner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assigner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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