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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépenser

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The English translation of the French verb “dépenser” is “to spend.” The infinitive form of “dépenser” is pronounced as [deh-pan-seh].

The verb “dépenser” comes from the Latin word “dispensare” which means “to distribute” or “to spend.” In everyday French, the verb “dépenser” is commonly used to refer to the act of spending money or resources.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “dépenser” is used to talk about past actions that are considered completed and do not have a direct impact on the present. Here are three examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’achetai un nouveau téléphone et je dépensai tout mon argent. (I bought a new phone and spent all my money.)
  2. Elle dépensa beaucoup d’énergie pour terminer le projet à temps. (She spent a lot of energy to finish the project on time.)
  3. Nous dépensâmes nos économies pour partir en vacances. (We spent our savings to go on vacation.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal writing and literature, and it is less commonly used in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dépensai J’ai dépensai tout mon argent. I spent all my money.
Tu dépensas Tu dépensas beaucoup d’argent. You spent a lot of money.
Il dépensa Il dépensa son salaire en une journée. He spent his salary in one day.
Elle dépensa Elle dépensa toutes ses économies. She spent all her savings.
On dépensa On dépensa trop lors de cette sortie. One spent too much on this outing.
Nous dépensâmes Nous dépensâmes nos économies en voyage. We spent our savings on travel.
Vous dépensâtes Vous dépensâtes sans compter. You spent without counting.
Ils dépensèrent Ils dépensèrent leur argent en vêtements. They spent their money on clothes.
Elles dépensèrent Elles dépensèrent toute leur fortune. They (feminine) spent all their fortune.

Other Conjugations for Dépenser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépenser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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