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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diffuser

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The English translation of the French verb “diffuser” is “to broadcast” or “to diffuse.” The infinitive form “diffuser” is pronounced as “dee-few-zay.”

The verb “diffuser” in French originates from the Latin word “diffundere,” which means “to spread out” or “to scatter.” In everyday French, “diffuser” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past tense) to describe actions that occurred in the past, particularly in written or formal contexts.

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

  1. Le film diffusa à la télévision hier soir. (The movie was broadcast on television last night.)
  2. Ils diffusèrent la nouvelle sur toutes les chaînes. (They disseminated the news on all channels.)
  3. La radio diffusa l’interview en direct. (The radio broadcasted the interview live.)

In these examples, “diffuser” is used to describe the action of broadcasting or spreading something (a movie, news, an interview) in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je diffusai J’ai diffusé la nouvelle. I broadcasted the news.
Tu diffusas Tu diffusas le film. You broadcasted the movie.
Il diffusa Il diffusa le message. He broadcasted the message.
Elle diffusa Elle diffusa la chanson. She broadcasted the song.
On diffusa On diffusa l’émission. One broadcasted the show.
Nous diffusâmes Nous diffusâmes la conférence. We broadcasted the conference.
Vous diffusâtes Vous diffusâtes le reportage. You broadcasted the report.
Ils diffusèrent Ils diffusèrent le match. They broadcasted the game.
Elles diffusèrent Elles diffusèrent l’interview. They (feminine) broadcasted the interview.

Other Conjugations for Diffuser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diffuser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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