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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diminuer

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The English translation of the French verb “diminuer” is “to decrease” or “to diminish.” The infinitive form “diminuer” is pronounced as “dee-mee-nweh.”

The word “diminuer” comes from the Latin word “diminuere,” which means “to lessen” or “to make smaller.” In everyday French, the verb “diminuer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary or formal past tense, often used in written French.

Here are three simple examples of “diminuer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Les prix diminuèrent après les soldes. (The prices decreased after the sales.)
  2. Le nombre de participants diminua progressivement. (The number of participants diminished gradually.)
  3. La température diminua brutalement à la fin de l’automne. (The temperature suddenly decreased at the end of autumn.)

In these examples, “diminuer” is used to describe a decrease or reduction in prices, the number of participants, and temperature.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je diminuai Je diminuai mes dépenses. I decreased my expenses.
Tu diminuas Tu diminuas le volume. You decreased the volume.
Il diminua Il diminua la vitesse. He decreased the speed.
Elle diminua Elle diminua le bruit. She decreased the noise.
On diminua On diminua la consommation. One decreased the consumption.
Nous diminuâmes Nous diminuâmes les effectifs. We decreased the workforce.
Vous diminuâtes Vous diminuâtes le poids. You decreased the weight.
Ils diminuèrent Ils diminuèrent les prix. They decreased the prices.
Elles diminuèrent Elles diminuèrent les dépenses. They (feminine) decreased the expenses.

Other Conjugations for Diminuer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diminuer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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