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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gracier

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The English translation of the French verb “gracier” is “to pardon” or “to grant a pardon.” The infinitive form “gracier” is pronounced as [ɡʁasje].

The word “gracier” comes from the Latin word “gratia,” meaning “favor” or “grace.” In everyday French, the verb is most commonly used in its Passé Simple tense in formal or literary contexts, as this tense is rarely used in spoken French. The Passé Simple indicates a completed action in the past.

Here are three examples of “gracier” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Le roi gracia le prisonnier. (The king pardoned the prisoner.)
  2. Elle gracia les condamnés à mort. (She granted pardons to the condemned.)
  3. Le président gracia le coupable. (The president pardoned the guilty party.)

Please note that the usage of the Passé Simple tense has become less common in modern French, and the more frequently used tense to express past actions is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je graciai Je graciai les prisonniers. I pardoned the prisoners.
Tu gracias Tu gracias le criminel. You pardoned the criminal.
Il gracia Il gracia les condamnés. He pardoned the convicted.
Elle gracia Elle gracia la victime. She pardoned the victim.
On gracia On gracia les coupables. One pardoned the guilty.
Nous graciâmes Nous graciâmes les détenus. We pardoned the detainees.
Vous graciâtes Vous graciâtes le voleur. You pardoned the thief.
Ils gracièrent Ils gracièrent le meurtrier. They pardoned the murderer.
Elles gracièrent Elles gracièrent les assassins. They (feminine) pardoned the murderers.

Other Conjugations for Gracier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gracier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gracier – 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.

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