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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conjecturer

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The English translation of the French verb “conjecturer” is “to conjecture” or “to speculate.” The infinitive form of the verb “conjecturer” is pronounced as “kawn-zhek-tew-ray.”

The word “conjecturer” originates from the Latin word “conjecturare,” which means “to guess” or “to infer.” In everyday French, the verb “conjecturer” is commonly used to express the act of forming an opinion or making an educated guess about something.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “conjecturer” is not frequently used in everyday French, as this tense is mostly reserved for formal or literary writing. However, here are three examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle conjectura que le projet serait un succès. (She conjectured that the project would be a success.)
  2. Il conjectura que la réponse était évidente. (He conjectured that the answer was evident.)
  3. Nous conjecturâmes sur les raisons de son départ précipité. (We conjectured about the reasons for his sudden departure.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je conjecturai J’ai conjecturé que tu arriverais en retard. I conjectured that you would arrive late.
Tu conjecturas Tu conjecturas les raisons de son départ. You conjectured the reasons for his departure.
Il conjectura Il conjectura la réponse correcte. He conjectured the correct answer.
Elle conjectura Elle conjectura la solution au problème. She conjectured the solution to the problem.
On conjectura On conjectura le résultat de l’expérience. One conjectured the result of the experiment.
Nous conjecturâmes Nous conjecturâmes sur l’issue du match. We conjectured about the outcome of the game.
Vous conjecturâtes Vous conjecturâtes les conséquences de cette décision. You conjectured the consequences of this decision.
Ils conjecturèrent Ils conjecturèrent les intentions de leur adversaire. They conjectured the intentions of their opponent.
Elles conjecturèrent Elles conjecturèrent sur le sens du poème. They (feminine) conjectured about the meaning of the poem.

Other Conjugations for Conjecturer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conjecturer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Conjecturer – 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.

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