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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb céder

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The English translation of the French verb “céder” is “to yield” or “to give in.” The infinitive form “céder” is pronounced as “seh-day.”

The verb “céder” originates from the Latin word “cedere,” meaning “to give way” or “to yield.” In everyday French, especially in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), it is commonly used to express actions or situations that occurred in the past and are now finished.

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

  1. Je cédai ma place dans le train à une dame âgée.
    (I yielded my seat on the train to an elderly lady.)

  2. Il céda devant leurs demandes insistantes.
    (He gave in to their insistent requests.)

  3. Ils cédèrent leur terrain pour la construction d’une école.
    (They yielded their land for the construction of a school.)

In these examples, “céder” is conjugated in the Passé Simple tense to match the subject performing the action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cédai J’ai cédai mes droits. I yielded my rights.
Tu cédas Tu céda ta place. You yielded your seat.
Il céda Il céda devant la pression. He yielded under the pressure.
Elle céda Elle céda à ses demandes. She yielded to his demands.
On céda On céda à la tentation. One yielded to temptation.
Nous cédâmes Nous cédâmes notre tour. We yielded our turn.
Vous cédâtes Vous cédâtes votre position. You yielded your position.
Ils cédèrent Ils cédèrent sous la contrainte. They yielded under the constraint.
Elles cédèrent Elles cédèrent devant l’adversité. They (feminine) yielded to adversity.

Other Conjugations for Céder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb céder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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