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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assimiler

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of assimiler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “assimiler” is “to assimilate.” The infinitive form “assimiler” is pronounced as [asimile].

The verb “assimiler” comes from the Latin word “assimilare,” which means “to make similar.” In everyday French, “assimiler” is commonly used to refer to the process of understanding, integrating, or learning something new, often by comparing it to something familiar.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “assimiler” is not frequently used in everyday spoken French, as this tense is mostly reserved for formal or written language. However, here are three examples of “assimiler” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’assimilai les règles du jeu rapidement.
    (I assimilated the rules of the game quickly.)

  2. Il assimila les informations fournies dans le cours.
    (He assimilated the information provided in the lecture.)

  3. Elle assimila la culture du pays où elle vécut.
    (She assimilated the culture of the country where she lived.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in everyday spoken French, and the more common past tense is the Passé Composé (Compound Past).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je assimilai J’assimilai la leçon. I assimilated the lesson.
Tu assimilas Tu assimilas rapidement. You assimilated quickly.
Il assimila Il assimila les informations. He assimilated the information.
Elle assimila Elle assimila la nouvelle culture. She assimilated the new culture.
On assimila On assimila la méthode. One assimilated the method.
Nous assimilâmes Nous assimilâmes les règles. We assimilated the rules.
Vous assimilâtes Vous assimilâtes les techniques. You assimilated the techniques.
Ils assimilèrent Ils assimilèrent les concepts. They assimilated the concepts.
Elles assimilèrent Elles assimilèrent les idées. They (feminine) assimilated the ideas.

Other Conjugations for Assimiler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assimiler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the assimiler Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply