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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contremander

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The English translation of the French verb “contremander” is “to countermand” or “to revoke an order.” The infinitive form, “contremander,” is pronounced as kohn-truh-mahn-dey.

The word “contremander” has its origins in the combination of the prefix “contre” meaning “against” and the verb “commander” meaning “to order.” Therefore, it carries the meaning of going against or revoking a command or order.

In everyday French, the passé simple (simple past) tense is primarily used in formal writing such as literature, historical texts, or formal speeches. It is less frequently used in spoken or informal language. However, here are three examples of its usage in the passé simple tense:

  1. Il contremanda les ordres du général. (He countermanded the general’s orders.)
  2. Elle contremanda la réservation de l’hôtel. (She revoked the hotel reservation.)
  3. L’entreprise contremanda le contrat déjà signé. (The company countermanded the already signed contract.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is rarely used in everyday conversation in contemporary French. The more commonly used past tense in spoken language is the passé composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je contremis Je contremis mes paroles. I retracted my words.
Tu contremandas Tu contremandas l’ordre. You countermanded the order.
Il contremanda Il contremanda la réunion. He countermanded the meeting.
Elle contremanda Elle contremanda son voyage. She countermanded her trip.
On contremanda On contremanda la livraison. One countermanded the delivery.
Nous contremandâmes Nous contremandâmes la décision. We countermanded the decision.
Vous contremandâtes Vous contremandâtes la réservation. You countermanded the reservation.
Ils contremandèrent Ils contremandèrent le projet. They countermanded the project.
Elles contremandèrent Elles contremandèrent la commande. They (feminine) countermanded the order.

Other Conjugations for Contremander.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contremander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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