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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb digresser

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The English translation of the French verb “digresser” is “to digress.” The infinitive form of “digresser” is pronounced as “dee-greh-sey.”

“Digresser” originated from the Latin word “digressus,” which means “to deviate” or “to go astray.” In everyday French, “digresser” is commonly used to describe the act of going off-topic or diverting from the main subject during a conversation or presentation.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “digresser” is less commonly used in everyday French as it is mostly reserved for formal writing or literature. However, here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Il digressa plusieurs fois lors de son discours.
    (He digressed several times during his speech.)

  2. L’auteur digressa pour expliquer son point de vue.
    (The author digressed to explain his point of view.)

  3. Elle digressa en racontant une anecdote personnelle.
    (She digressed by telling a personal anecdote.)

Please note that in everyday spoken French, the compound past tense (Passé Composé) is more commonly used instead of the Passé Simple.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je digressai Je digressai sur un sujet différent. I digressed on a different subject.
Tu digressas Tu digressas pendant la réunion. You digressed during the meeting.
Il digressa Il digressa de son discours. He digressed from his speech.
Elle digressa Elle digressa dans sa conversation. She digressed in her conversation.
On digressa On digressa du sujet principal. One digressed from the main topic.
Nous digressâmes Nous digressâmes sur plusieurs sujets. We digressed on several subjects.
Vous digressâtes Vous digressâtes dans votre exposé. You digressed in your presentation.
Ils digressèrent Ils digressèrent dans leurs discours. They digressed in their speeches.
Elles digressèrent Elles digressèrent dans leur conversation. They (feminine) digressed in their conversation.

Other Conjugations for Digresser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb digresser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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