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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of damner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “damner” is “to damn” or “to condemn.” The infinitive form, “damner,” is pronounced as [da-mney].

The verb “damner” comes from the Latin word “damnare,” meaning “to condemn.” In everyday French, the passé simple (simple past) tense is rarely used, even in formal writing. However, it is still important to understand its usage. The passé simple is mainly found in literature, historical texts, or formal speeches.

Here are three examples of “damner” used in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle damna ses ennemis sans hésitation.
    (She damned her enemies without hesitation.)
  2. Le juge les condamna à la peine maximale.
    (The judge condemned them to the maximum penalty.)
  3. L’église condamna fermement ces actes immoraux.
    (The church strongly condemned these immoral acts.)

Please note that these examples are in the passé simple tense, which is less commonly used in modern French. In everyday conversation or informal writing, the passé composé or other compound tenses are generally preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je damnai Je me damnai pour mes péchés. I damned myself for my sins.
Tu damnas Tu damnas cette personne. You damned that person.
Il damna Il damna son âme. He damned his soul.
Elle damna Elle damna son sort. She damned her fate.
On damna On damna cette action. One damned this action.
Nous damnâmes Nous damnâmes notre imprudence. We damned our imprudence.
Vous damnâtes Vous damnâtes cette décision. You damned that decision.
Ils damnèrent Ils damnèrent leurs ennemis. They damned their enemies.
Elles damnèrent Elles damnèrent leurs maris. They (feminine) damned their husbands.

Other Conjugations for Damner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the damner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply