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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compenser

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The English translation of the French verb “compenser” is “to compensate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kɔ̃.pɑ̃.se”.

“Compenser” comes from the Latin word “compensare,” which means “to weigh against.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the present tense to express the act of compensating or making up for something.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “compenser” is less frequently used in everyday spoken French but is still found in written or formal contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je compensai mes erreurs en travaillant plus dur.
    (I compensated for my mistakes by working harder.)

  2. Elle compensa son retard en offrant des excuses.
    (She compensated for her delay by offering apologies.)

  3. Ils compensèrent leur absence en envoyant des cadeaux.
    (They compensated for their absence by sending gifts.)

These examples illustrate how “compenser” in the Passé Simple tense denotes actions that were done in the past to make up for or balance out a particular situation or event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je compensai J’ai compensé ses erreurs. I compensated for his mistakes.
Tu compensas Tu compensas son absence. You compensated for his absence.
Il compensa Il compensa les dommages. He compensated for the damages.
Elle compensa Elle compensa le manque de ressources. She compensated for the lack of resources.
On compensa On compensa les dépenses. One compensated for the expenses.
Nous compensâmes Nous compensâmes les pertes. We compensated for the losses.
Vous compensâtes Vous compensâtes les inconvénients. You compensated for the inconveniences.
Ils compensèrent Ils compensèrent les dégâts. They compensated for the damages.
Elles compensèrent Elles compensèrent les dépenses. They (feminine) compensated for the expenses.

Other Conjugations for Compenser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compenser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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