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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénoter

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The English translation of the French verb dénoter is “to denote” or “to indicate.” The infinitive form of dénoter is pronounced as “day-noh-tey.”

Dénoter is derived from the Latin word “denotare,” which means “to mark out.” In everyday French, dénoter is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is primarily found in written French such as literature or formal writing. The Passé Simple tense is used to describe completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of dénoter in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Son comportement dénota une grande nervosité. (His behavior denoted a great nervousness.)
  2. Le sourire sur son visage dénota sa satisfaction. (The smile on his face denoted his satisfaction.)
  3. Les résultats de l’étude dénotèrent une corrélation entre les deux variables. (The study’s results denoted a correlation between the two variables.)

In these examples, dénoter is used to express the act of indicating or showing something in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dénotai J’ai dénoté son mensonge. I noted his lie.
Tu dénotas Tu dénotas une certaine nervosité. You noted a certain nervousness.
Il dénota Il dénota un intérêt particulier. He noted a particular interest.
Elle dénota Elle dénota un changement dans son comportement. She noted a change in his behavior.
On dénota On dénota une augmentation des prix. One noted an increase in prices.
Nous dénotâmes Nous dénotâmes une erreur dans le document. We noted an error in the document.
Vous dénotâtes Vous dénotâtes une contradiction dans son discours. You noted a contradiction in his speech.
Ils dénotèrent Ils dénotèrent un manque d’enthousiasme. They noted a lack of enthusiasm.
Elles dénotèrent Elles dénotèrent un progrès dans leur travail. They (feminine) noted progress in their work.

Other Conjugations for Dénoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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