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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb germer

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The English translation of the French verb “germer” is “to sprout” or “to germinate.” The infinitive form of “germer” is pronounced as [ʒɛʁ.me].

The verb “germer” is derived from the Latin word “germen” meaning “sprout” or “germ.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions or events that occurred and were completed in the past. However, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language and is primarily found in written narratives, literature, or formal contexts.

Here are three examples of how “germer” can be used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les graines germèrent rapidement dans le sol fertile. (The seeds sprouted quickly in the fertile soil.)
  2. Lorsque les conditions furent favorables, les plantes germèrent abondamment. (When the conditions were favorable, the plants germinated abundantly.)
  3. Les bourgeons germèrent au printemps et se transformèrent en magnifiques fleurs. (The buds sprouted in spring and turned into beautiful flowers.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is not frequently used in contemporary spoken French, so it is more common to hear the compound past tenses such as the Passé Composé (Present Perfect) in everyday conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je germai Je germai une nouvelle plante. I sprouted a new plant.
Tu germas Tu germas rapidement. You sprouted quickly.
Il germa Il germa dans le sol fertile. He sprouted in the fertile soil.
Elle germa Elle germa avec succès. She sprouted successfully.
On germa On germa en été. One sprouted in summer.
Nous germâmes Nous germâmes les graines. We sprouted the seeds.
Vous germâtes Vous germâtes les légumes. You sprouted the vegetables.
Ils germèrent Ils germèrent en abondance. They sprouted abundantly.
Elles germèrent Elles germèrent rapidement. They (feminine) sprouted quickly.

Other Conjugations for Germer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb germer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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