Breakdown of Les chevaliers défendirent le royaume.
défendre
to defend
le royaume
the kingdom
le chevalier
the knight
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Questions & Answers about Les chevaliers défendirent le royaume.
What tense is défendirent and what is its infinitive form?
How can I recognize the passé simple for -re verbs in the "they" form?
For regular -re verbs like défendre, the ils/elles form in the passé simple always ends in -irent. Another example would be ils vendirent (they sold) from vendre.
Since this is the passé simple, should I use défendirent in conversation?
No! The passé simple is almost exclusively used in formal writing, literature, and historical texts like a story about knights. You only need to be able to recognize it when reading, not use it when speaking.
Is royaume related to the French word for "king"?
Yes! Royaume means "kingdom" or "realm," and it shares a root with roi (king) and royal (royal).