répondirent

répondirent is the third-person plural passé simple indicative form of the French verb répondre. The verb répondre means "to answer," "to reply," or "to respond." The passé simple is a past tense primarily used in formal written narratives, such as literature and historical accounts, to describe completed actions in the past. Therefore, "répondirent" translates to "they answered," "they replied," or "they responded."

For example, in a narrative sentence, one might encounter: "Les témoins répondirent aux questions du juge." This translates to "The witnesses answered the judge's questions." The use of "répondirent" indicates a completed action in the past within a formal narrative context. It is less common in spoken French, where the passé composé (ont répondu) is generally preferred for past actions. The passé simple, and thus the form "répondirent," lends a literary or historical tone to the writing. It is a conjugation that would typically appear in novels, historical texts, or formal reports recounting past events.