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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conseiller

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The English translation of the French verb “conseiller” is “to advise.” The infinitive form “conseiller” is pronounced as koh(n)-suh-yay.

The verb “conseiller” comes from the Old French word “consillier,” which originated from the Latin word “consiliari,” meaning “to give advice.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language but is mostly found in written literature.

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

  1. Il conseilla à son frère d’étudier davantage. (He advised his brother to study more.)
  2. Elle nous conseilla de prendre le train. (She advised us to take the train.)
  3. Le professeur conseilla à ses élèves de réviser pour l’examen. (The teacher advised his students to review for the exam.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je conseillai J’ai conseillé à mon ami. I advised my friend.
Tu conseillas Tu lui conseillas de partir. You advised him to leave.
Il conseilla Il conseilla de prendre le train. He advised to take the train.
Elle conseilla Elle conseilla de faire une pause. She advised to take a break.
On conseilla On conseilla de ne pas sortir. One advised not to go out.
Nous conseillâmes Nous conseillâmes à nos parents. We advised our parents.
Vous conseillâtes Vous me conseillâtes de lire ce livre. You advised me to read this book.
Ils conseillèrent Ils conseillèrent de changer de stratégie. They advised to change strategy.
Elles conseillèrent Elles conseillèrent de prendre des vacances. They (feminine) advised to take a vacation.

Other Conjugations for Conseiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conseiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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