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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bénéficier

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The English translation of the French verb bénéficier is “to benefit” or “to enjoy.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bey-nuh-fee-syey.”

The verb bénéficier originated from the Latin word “bene facere,” meaning “to do well” or “to do good.” In everyday French, bénéficier is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to talk about past actions or events that were beneficial or advantageous. However, it is worth noting that the Passé Simple tense is predominantly used in formal or written French, while the passé composé is more commonly used in spoken French to express the past.

Here are three examples of bénéficier used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Jusqu’en 2020, nous bénéficiâmes d’une politique fiscale avantageuse.
    (Until 2020, we benefited from an advantageous tax policy.)

  2. L’entreprise bénéficia d’un contrat lucratif avec un client international.
    (The company benefited from a lucrative contract with an international client.)

  3. Les étudiants bénéficièrent d’une bourse d’études pour poursuivre leurs recherches.
    (The students benefited from a scholarship to pursue their research.)

English Translations:

  1. Until 2020, we benefited from an advantageous tax policy.
  2. The company benefited from a lucrative contract with an international client.
  3. The students benefited from a scholarship to pursue their research.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bénéficiai J’ai bénéficié de l’aide de mon ami. I benefited from my friend’s help.
Tu bénéficias Tu bénéficias d’un avantage. You benefited from an advantage.
Il bénéficia Il bénéficia de la promotion. He benefited from the promotion.
Elle bénéficia Elle bénéficia d’une réduction. She benefited from a discount.
On bénéficia On bénéficia d’un soutien financier. One benefited from financial support.
Nous bénéficiâmes Nous bénéficiâmes d’une bonne occasion. We benefited from a good opportunity.
Vous bénéficiâtes Vous bénéficiâtes d’un traitement spécial. You benefited from special treatment.
Ils bénéficièrent Ils bénéficièrent d’une bourse. They benefited from a scholarship.
Elles bénéficièrent Elles bénéficièrent d’un congé. They (feminine) benefited from a leave.

Other Conjugations for Bénéficier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bénéficier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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