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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb graduer

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The English translation of the French verb “graduer” is “to graduate” or “to measure.” The infinitive form “graduer” is pronounced as “gra-dew-eh.”

The word “graduer” comes from the Latin word “gradus,” which means “step.” In everyday French, “graduer” is most often used in its reflexive form “se graduer” to mean “to graduate” in the sense of completing a course of study or receiving an academic degree.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “graduer” is less commonly used in everyday French as it is considered a literary tense. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je graduai en 2010.
    (I graduated in 2010.)

  2. Tu gradua en sciences.
    (You graduated in sciences.)

  3. Elle gradua avec distinction.
    (She graduated with honors.)

Note: In contemporary spoken French, the Passé Composé (Compound Past) tense is more commonly used to express actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je graduai J’ai gradué en 2010. I graduated in 2010.
Tu gradua Tu gradua avec mention. You graduated with honors.
Il gradua Il gradua de l’université. He graduated from the university.
Elle gradua Elle gradua en psychologie. She graduated in psychology.
On gradua On gradua avec distinction. One graduated with distinction.
Nous graduâmes Nous graduâmes ensemble. We graduated together.
Vous graduâtes Vous graduâtes l’année dernière. You graduated last year.
Ils graduèrent Ils graduèrent en médecine. They graduated in medicine.
Elles graduèrent Elles graduèrent en droit. They (feminine) graduated in law.

Other Conjugations for Graduer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb graduer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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