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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commenter

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The English translation of the French verb “commenter” is “to comment.” The infinitive form “commenter” is pronounced as koh-mahn-teh.

The verb “commenter” originates from the Latin word “commentari,” meaning “to make notes or to annotate.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language and is mostly found in written works, particularly in literature or formal writing. The Passé Simple tense is used to describe completed actions in the past.

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

  1. J’entrai dans la pièce et commentai immédiatement la beauté de la peinture.
    (I entered the room and immediately commented on the beauty of the painting.)

  2. Elle commenta avec enthousiasme le résultat du match de football.
    (She enthusiastically commented on the result of the football match.)

  3. Les critiques littéraires commentèrent longuement le dernier roman de l’auteur.
    (Literary critics extensively commented on the author’s latest novel.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je commentai Je commentai l’article. I commented on the article.
Tu commentas Tu commentas la photo. You commented on the photo.
Il commenta Il commenta la situation. He commented on the situation.
Elle commenta Elle commenta le film. She commented on the movie.
On commenta On commenta la décision. One commented on the decision.
Nous commentâmes Nous commentâmes le match. We commented on the game.
Vous commentâtes Vous commentâtes le livre. You commented on the book.
Ils commentèrent Ils commentèrent l’événement. They commented on the event.
Elles commentèrent Elles commentèrent la nouvelle. They (feminine) commented on the news.

Other Conjugations for Commenter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commenter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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