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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discuter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of discuter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “discuter” is “to discuss” or “to argue.” The infinitive form “discuter” is pronounced as “dee-skoo-teh.”

The verb “discuter” originated from the Latin word “discutere,” which means “to investigate” or “to examine.” In modern everyday French, “discuter” is commonly used to refer to having a conversation or a discussion on a particular topic.

In the Passé Simple tense, “discuter” is not frequently used in everyday French. This tense is mainly reserved for formal or written language, such as literature. However, here are three examples of how “discuter” can be used in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Nous discutâmes longuement de notre projet. (We discussed our project at length.)
  2. Les deux professeurs discutèrent de leurs différentes méthodes d’enseignement. (The two teachers argued about their different teaching methods.)
  3. Lors de la réunion, ils discutèrent vivement des nouveaux règlements. (During the meeting, they heatedly debated the new regulations.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je discutai J’ai discuté avec lui. I discussed with him.
Tu discutas Tu discutas avec elle. You discussed with her.
Il discuta Il discuta la proposition. He discussed the proposal.
Elle discuta Elle discuta avec eux. She discussed with them.
On discuta On discuta de politique. One discussed politics.
Nous discutâmes Nous avons discuté du projet. We discussed the project.
Vous discutâtes Vous avez discuté de la situation. You discussed the situation.
Ils discutèrent Ils discutèrent de leurs problèmes. They discussed their problems.
Elles discutèrent Elles discutèrent de leurs vacances. They (feminine) discussed their vacations.

Other Conjugations for Discuter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discuter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the discuter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply