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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb daigner

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The English translation of the French verb “daigner” is “to deign” or “to condescend.” The infinitive form “daigner” is pronounced as “den-yay.”

The verb “daigner” originated from the Latin word “dignare,” which means “to deem worthy.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is an archaic literary tense used mainly in formal writing.

Examples of “daigner” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Il daigna me répondre. (He deigned to answer me.)
  2. Elle ne daigna pas lui parler. (She did not deign to speak to him.)
  3. Le roi daigna les inviter à la fête. (The king deigned to invite them to the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je daignai Je daignai lui répondre. I deigned to answer him/her.
Tu daignas Tu daignas me regarder. You deigned to look at me.
Il daigna Il daigna les aider. He deigned to help them.
Elle daigna Elle daigna le saluer. She deigned to greet him.
On daigna On daigna lui pardonner. One deigned to forgive him/her.
Nous daignâmes Nous daignâmes les écouter. We deigned to listen to them.
Vous daignâtes Vous daignâtes me parler. You deigned to talk to me.
Ils daignèrent Ils daignèrent s’excuser. They deigned to apologize.
Elles daignèrent Elles daignèrent le rencontrer. They (feminine) deigned to meet him.

Other Conjugations for Daigner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb daigner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Daigner – 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.

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