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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénommer

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The English translation of the French verb dénommer is “to name” or “to designate.” The infinitive form “dénommer” is pronounced as “day-no-may”.

The verb dénommer originates from the Old French word “denomer,” which comes from the Latin word “denominare” (to name). In everyday French, dénommer is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions or events that took place in the past. However, it’s important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, particularly in literature.

Here are three simple examples of dénommer used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il dénomma son fils en l’honneur de son grand-père.
    (He named his son in honor of his grandfather.)
  2. Le président dénomma le nouveau ministre de la justice.
    (The president appointed the new minister of justice.)
  3. L’écrivain dénomma ses personnages d’après des personnes réelles.
    (The writer named his characters after real people.)

Please keep in mind that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, as it has been largely replaced by other past tenses such as the Passé Composé or the Imparfait.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dénommai Je dénommai cet objet. I named this object.
Tu dénommas Tu dénommas le personnage. You named the character.
Il dénomma Il dénomma son entreprise. He named his company.
Elle dénomma Elle dénomma la rue. She named the street.
On dénomma On dénomma le nouveau produit. One named the new product.
Nous dénommâmes Nous dénommâmes le groupe. We named the group.
Vous dénommâtes Vous dénommâtes l’animal. You named the animal.
Ils dénommèrent Ils dénommèrent le bateau. They named the boat.
Elles dénommèrent Elles dénommèrent la montagne. They (feminine) named the mountain.

Other Conjugations for Dénommer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénommer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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