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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gronder

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The English translation of the French verb “gronder” is “to scold” or “to tell off.” The infinitive form “gronder” is pronounced as /ɡʁɔ̃.de/.

The word “gronder” originated from the Latin word “grandire,” meaning “to grow” or “to become bigger.” In everyday French, “gronder” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in written narratives, historical texts, or formal speeches.

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

  1. Mes parents grondèrent ma sœur lorsque nous sommes rentrés tard. (My parents scolded my sister when we came back late.)

  2. Le professeur gronda les élèves pour leur manque de respect. (The teacher told off the students for their lack of respect.)

  3. Le chef gronda les employés après leur retard répété. (The boss scolded the employees after their repeated lateness.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the verb “gronder” is more commonly used in the present tense for everyday conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je grondai Je grondai mon chien. I scolded my dog.
Tu grondas Tu grondas ton ami. You scolded your friend.
Il gronda Il gronda sa sœur. He scolded his sister.
Elle gronda Elle gronda son fils. She scolded her son.
On gronda On gronda les enfants. One scolded the children.
Nous grondâmes Nous grondâmes nos voisins. We scolded our neighbors.
Vous grondâtes Vous grondâtes vos collègues. You scolded your colleagues.
Ils grondèrent Ils grondèrent leurs parents. They scolded their parents.
Elles grondèrent Elles grondèrent leurs amis. They (feminine) scolded their friends.

Other Conjugations for Gronder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gronder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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