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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consommer

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The English translation of the French verb “consommer” is “to consume.” The infinitive form “consommer” is pronounced as “kon-so-may.”

The word “consommer” has its origins in Latin, derived from the word “consumere,” which means “to use up” or “to consume.” In everyday French, “consommer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to completed actions in the past.

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

  1. J’achetai et je consommai un café ce matin.
    (I bought and consumed a coffee this morning.)

  2. Ils allèrent au restaurant et consommèrent un repas délicieux.
    (They went to the restaurant and consumed a delicious meal.)

  3. Hier soir, nous consommâmes tous les bonbons.
    (Last night, we consumed all the candies.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal or written French. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express completed actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je consommai J’ai consommé trop de café. I consumed too much coffee.
Tu consommas Tu consommas toute la bouteille. You consumed the whole bottle.
Il consomma Il consomma le repas rapidement. He consumed the meal quickly.
Elle consomma Elle consomma son dessert avec plaisir. She consumed her dessert with pleasure.
On consomma On consomma tout le stock. One consumed all the stock.
Nous consommâmes Nous consommâmes les légumes. We consumed the vegetables.
Vous consommâtes Vous consommâtes beaucoup de fruits. You consumed a lot of fruits.
Ils consommèrent Ils consommèrent la viande. They consumed the meat.
Elles consommèrent Elles consommèrent les boissons. They (feminine) consumed the drinks.

Other Conjugations for Consommer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consommer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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