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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb concerner

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The English translation of the French verb “concerner” is “to concern” or “to be about.” The infinitive form, “concerner,” is pronounced as kɔ̃.sɛʁ.ne.

The verb “concerner” comes from the Old French word “concerner” which means “to concern” or “to relate to.” It is derived from the Latin word “cernere,” meaning “to sift” or “to separate.” In everyday French, the verb “concerner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to express actions that occurred in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Le problème concerna toute la famille.
    Translation: The problem concerned the whole family.

  2. Cette décision ne concerna que lui.
    Translation: This decision only concerned him.

  3. Les nouvelles règles concernèrent les employés.
    Translation: The new rules concerned the employees.

In these examples, “concerner” is used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions that happened in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je concernai Je te concernai dans ma décision. I involved you in my decision.
Tu concernas Tu ne concernas pas cette affaire. You did not involve yourself in this matter.
Il concerna Il concerna toute l’équipe. He involved the whole team.
Elle concerna Elle concerna ses amis. She involved her friends.
On concerna On concerna tous les participants. One involved all the participants.
Nous concernâmes Nous concernâmes les employés. We involved the employees.
Vous concernâtes Vous concernâtes les étudiants. You involved the students.
Ils concernèrent Ils concernèrent le projet. They involved the project.
Elles concernèrent Elles concernèrent les volontaires. They (feminine) involved the volunteers.

Other Conjugations for Concerner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb concerner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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