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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délibérer

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The English translation of the French verb “délibérer” is “to deliberate.” The infinitive form “délibérer” is pronounced as “day-lee-beh-ray.”

“Délibérer” comes from the Latin word “deliberare,” which means “to consider carefully.” In everyday French, the verb is most often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions or events that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts.

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

  1. J’étudiai la question avec attention avant de délibérer. (I studied the matter carefully before deliberating.)
  2. Le conseil délibéra pendant des heures avant de prendre une décision. (The council deliberated for hours before making a decision.)
  3. Les jurés délibérèrent pendant plusieurs jours avant de rendre leur verdict. (The jurors deliberated for several days before delivering their verdict.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je délibérai J’ai délibéré avant de prendre une décision. I deliberated before making a decision.
Tu délibéras Tu délibéras longuement sur la question. You deliberated extensively on the matter.
Il délibéra Il délibéra avec ses collègues. He deliberated with his colleagues.
Elle délibéra Elle délibéra pendant des heures. She deliberated for hours.
On délibéra On délibéra en présence du jury. One deliberated in the presence of the jury.
Nous délibérâmes Nous délibérâmes avec sérieux. We deliberated seriously.
Vous délibérâtes Vous délibérâtes en groupe. You deliberated as a group.
Ils délibérèrent Ils délibérèrent avant de rendre leur verdict. They deliberated before delivering their verdict.
Elles délibérèrent Elles délibérèrent sur la meilleure stratégie. They (feminine) deliberated on the best strategy.

Other Conjugations for Délibérer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délibérer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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