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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb destiner

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The English translation of the French verb “destiner” is “to intend” or “to destine.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “destiner” is /de.sti.ne/.

The verb “destiner” originated from the Latin word “destinare” which means “to determine” or “to appoint.” In everyday French, the verb “destiner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to express actions or events that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly reserved for formal writing, literature, or historical contexts.

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

  1. J’appris que ma mère me destinait à une carrière médicale.
    (I learned that my mother intended me for a medical career.)

  2. L’entreprise destina tous ses bénéfices à la recherche scientifique.
    (The company dedicated all its profits to scientific research.)

  3. Le roi destina cette terre à la construction d’un château.
    (The king designated this land for the construction of a castle.)

In these examples, “destiner” is used to convey the idea of intention, determination, or allocation in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je destinai J’ai destinai la lettre à mon ami. I addressed the letter to my friend.
Tu destinas Tu destinas le cadeau à ta sœur. You addressed the gift to your sister.
Il destina Il destina le livre à sa mère. He addressed the book to his mother.
Elle destina Elle destina le colis à son frère. She addressed the package to her brother.
On destina On destina le paquet à la poste. One addressed the parcel to the post office.
Nous destinâmes Nous destinâmes les documents au tribunal. We addressed the documents to the court.
Vous destinâtes Vous destinâtes le courrier à l’entreprise. You addressed the mail to the company.
Ils destinèrent Ils destinèrent les marchandises à l’entrepôt. They addressed the goods to the warehouse.
Elles destinèrent Elles destinèrent les colis au centre de distribution. They (feminine) addressed the packages to the distribution center.

Other Conjugations for Destiner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb destiner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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