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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb congédier

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of congédier. 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 congédier is “to dismiss” or “to fire.” The infinitive form “congédier” is pronounced as “kon-zhe-dyey.”

The word “congédier” has its origins in the French language and is derived from the Old French term “congie,” meaning “permission” or “farewell.” In everyday French, the verb “congédier” is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to refer to actions in the past that were completed and have no ongoing relevance.

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

  1. J’ouvris la porte et je congédiai l’employé.
    (I opened the door and dismissed the employee.)

  2. Elle congédia son avocat après le procès.
    (She fired her lawyer after the trial.)

  3. Le directeur congédia tous les employés qui étaient en retard.
    (The manager fired all the employees who were late.)

These examples demonstrate how “congédier” is used to describe actions that occurred in the past, specifically in the Passé Simple tense, indicating a completed action of dismissing or firing someone.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je congédiai J’ai congédié mon assistante. I dismissed my assistant.
Tu congédias Tu congédias ton collègue. You dismissed your colleague.
Il congédia Il congédia son employé. He dismissed his employee.
Elle congédia Elle congédia son patron. She dismissed her boss.
On congédia On congédia le personnel. One dismissed the staff.
Nous congédiâmes Nous congédiâmes toute l’équipe. We dismissed the entire team.
Vous congédiâtes Vous congédiâtes les ouvriers. You dismissed the workers.
Ils congédièrent Ils congédièrent les stagiaires. They dismissed the interns.
Elles congédièrent Elles congédièrent les employées. They (feminine) dismissed the employees.

Other Conjugations for Congédier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb congédier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 congédier Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply