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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assommer

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The English translation of the French verb “assommer” is “to knock out” or “to stun.” The infinitive form “assommer” is pronounced as [a-sɔ-me].

The word “assommer” has its origin in the Old French word “sommer” which means “to burden” or “to press down.” It is derived from the Latin word “submonare,” which means “to warn” or “to remind.” In everyday French, the verb “assommer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in written narratives.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “assommer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il assomma son adversaire d’un coup de poing.
    (He knocked out his opponent with a punch.)

  2. Elle m’assomma avec ses histoires interminables.
    (She bored me to death with her never-ending stories.)

  3. L’équipe adverse fut assommée par notre attaque implacable.
    (The opposing team was stunned by our relentless attack.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is generally preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je assommai J’assommai mon adversaire. I knocked out my opponent.
Tu assommas Tu assommas le moustique. You knocked out the mosquito.
Il assomma Il assomma son ennemi. He knocked out his enemy.
Elle assomma Elle assomma le serpent. She knocked out the snake.
On assomma On assomma le voleur. One knocked out the thief.
Nous assommâmes Nous assommâmes l’ours. We knocked out the bear.
Vous assommâtes Vous assommâtes le taureau. You knocked out the bull.
Ils assommèrent Ils assommèrent le cheval. They knocked out the horse.
Elles assommèrent Elles assommèrent le chien. They (feminine) knocked out the dog.

Other Conjugations for Assommer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assommer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Assommer – 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.

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