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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consulter

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The English translation of the French verb “consulter” is “to consult.” The infinitive form of “consulter” is pronounced as [kɔ̃.syl.te].

The verb “consulter” comes from the Latin word “consultare,” which means “to deliberate” or “to seek advice.” In everyday French, “consulter” is commonly used to refer to the act of seeking information, advice, or opinions from a professional, a document, or a source.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “consulter” is used to describe completed actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. J’ouvris le livre et je consultai les tables des matières. (I opened the book and consulted the table of contents.)
  2. Elle consulta un spécialiste pour obtenir un deuxième avis. (She consulted a specialist to get a second opinion.)
  3. Nous consultâmes différents sites internet avant de prendre notre décision. (We consulted various websites before making our decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je consultai J’ai consulté mon médecin. I consulted my doctor.
Tu consultas Tu consultas un avocat. You consulted a lawyer.
Il consulta Il consulta son agenda. He consulted his schedule.
Elle consulta Elle consulta un spécialiste. She consulted a specialist.
On consulta On consulta un expert. One consulted an expert.
Nous consultâmes Nous consultâmes nos notes. We consulted our notes.
Vous consultâtes Vous consultâtes le manuel. You consulted the manual.
Ils consultèrent Ils consultèrent leurs collègues. They consulted their colleagues.
Elles consultèrent Elles consultèrent un psychologue. They (feminine) consulted a psychologist.

Other Conjugations for Consulter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consulter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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