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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conserver

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The English translation of the French verb “conserver” is “to keep” or “to preserve.” The infinitive form “conserver” is pronounced as “kohn-sehr-vei.”

The word “conserver” comes from the Latin word “conservare,” which means “to preserve” or “to keep safe.” In everyday French, the verb “conserver” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to talk about actions that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, especially in literature, and is less frequently used in spoken language.

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

  1. J’ouvris le pot de confiture et je conservai quelques fraises.
    (I opened the jar of jam and kept a few strawberries.)

  2. Il conserva les documents importants dans un coffre-fort.
    (He preserved the important documents in a safe.)

  3. Elle conserva précieusement les lettres de son amour d’enfance.
    (She kept the letters from her childhood sweetheart carefully.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is still used in literature and formal writing, in spoken French and everyday conversations, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je conservai J’ai conservé la nourriture. I conserved the food.
Tu conservas Tu conservas la bouteille. You conserved the bottle.
Il conserva Il conserva ses souvenirs. He conserved his memories.
Elle conserva Elle conserva la peinture. She conserved the painting.
On conserva On conserva les documents. One conserved the documents.
Nous conservâmes Nous conservâmes nos forces. We conserved our strength.
Vous conservâtes Vous conservâtes l’argent. You conserved the money.
Ils conservèrent Ils conservèrent leurs énergies. They conserved their energies.
Elles conservèrent Elles conservèrent les fruits. They (feminine) conserved the fruits.

Other Conjugations for Conserver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conserver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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