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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb doter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of doter. 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 “doter” is “to endow” or “to provide.” The infinitive form of “doter” is pronounced as doh-teh.

The verb “doter” originates from the Latin word “dotare,” meaning “to give a dowry.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in written texts, such as literature or formal writing.

Examples of “doter” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. La fondation a doté l’université de nouvelles installations. (The foundation endowed the university with new facilities.)
  2. En 2010, le gouvernement a doté le secteur de la santé de ressources supplémentaires. (In 2010, the government provided the healthcare sector with additional resources.)
  3. L’entreprise a été dotée d’un nouveau système de gestion. (The company was endowed with a new management system.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the examples provided are more commonly expressed in the Passé Composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dotai Je dotai l’entreprise d’un nouveau système. I equipped the company with a new system.
Tu dotas Tu dotas le projet d’un budget suffisant. You equipped the project with a sufficient budget.
Il dota Il dota l’équipe de nouveaux joueurs. He equipped the team with new players.
Elle dota Elle dota la maison de meubles modernes. She equipped the house with modern furniture.
On dota On dota la salle de conférence d’un système de son. One equipped the conference room with a sound system.
Nous dotâmes Nous dotâmes la bibliothèque de nouveaux livres. We equipped the library with new books.
Vous dotâtes Vous dotâtes l’usine de machines performantes. You equipped the factory with high-performance machines.
Ils dotèrent Ils dotèrent l’école de nouvelles technologies. They equipped the school with new technologies.
Elles dotèrent Elles dotèrent le laboratoire de matériel sophistiqué. They (feminine) equipped the laboratory with sophisticated equipment.

Other Conjugations for Doter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb doter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 doter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply