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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gérer

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The English translation of the French verb “gérer” is “to manage” or “to handle.” The infinitive form “gérer” is pronounced as “zheh-ray.”

The verb “gérer” comes from the Latin word “gerere,” which means “to carry” or “to manage.” In everyday French, it is commonly used to express the action of managing or handling something, often related to business, finances, or administration.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “gérer” is used to describe past actions or events that are completed and not ongoing. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’ai géré mon entreprise avec succès l’année dernière.
    (I successfully managed my company last year.)

  2. Il géra les finances de sa famille pendant de nombreuses années.
    (He managed his family’s finances for many years.)

  3. Elle géra la crise avec calme et assurance.
    (She handled the crisis calmly and confidently.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken French, the Passé Composé and other compound tenses are more commonly used to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gérai J’ai géré la situation. I managed the situation.
Tu géras Tu géras ton temps. You managed your time.
Il géra Il géra les finances. He managed the finances.
Elle géra Elle géra l’équipe. She managed the team.
On géra On géra le projet. One managed the project.
Nous gérâmes Nous gérâmes les ressources. We managed the resources.
Vous gérâtes Vous gérâtes le budget. You managed the budget.
Ils gérèrent Ils gérèrent les employés. They managed the employees.
Elles gérèrent Elles gérèrent l’entreprise. They (feminine) managed the company.

Other Conjugations for Gérer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gérer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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