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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb condenser

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of condenser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “condenser” is “to condense.” The infinitive form “condenser” is pronounced as /kɔ̃.dɑ̃.se/.

The verb “condenser” comes from the Latin word “condensare,” which means “to make dense.” In everyday French, the verb is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to past actions that are considered complete and distant in time.

Here are three examples of “condenser” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’appris à condenser mes pensées en peu de mots.
    (I condensed my thoughts into few words.)

  2. Il condensa ses recherches dans un seul article.
    (He condensed his research into a single article.)

  3. Elle condensa son expérience en quelques lignes.
    (She condensed her experience into a few lines.)

These examples demonstrate the usage of “condenser” in the Passé Simple tense, where the verb indicates the completion of actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je condensai Je condensai le liquide. I condensed the liquid.
Tu condensas Tu condensas la vapeur. You condensed the steam.
Il condensa Il condensa l’air. He condensed the air.
Elle condensa Elle condensa le gaz. She condensed the gas.
On condensa On condensa la substance. One condensed the substance.
Nous condensâmes Nous condensâmes les fumées. We condensed the fumes.
Vous condensâtes Vous condensâtes le produit. You condensed the product.
Ils condensèrent Ils condensèrent le mélange. They condensed the mixture.
Elles condensèrent Elles condensèrent les particules. They (feminine) condensed the particles.

Other Conjugations for Condenser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb condenser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the condenser Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply