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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accoter

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The English translation of the French verb “accoter” is “to lean against” or “to prop up.” The infinitive form of “accoter” is pronounced as [a-koh-te].

The verb “accoter” originated from the Latin word “ad costa,” which means “to the side.” In everyday French, “accoter” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used in formal writing or storytelling.

Here are three examples of how “accoter” can be used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il s’accota contre le mur et observa la scène. (He leaned against the wall and observed the scene.)
  2. Elle s’accota sur le comptoir pour reprendre son souffle. (She propped herself up on the counter to catch her breath.)
  3. Nous nous sommes accotés au bord de la fenêtre pour admirer le paysage. (We leaned against the window to admire the view.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je accotai J’accotai ma tête sur l’épaule. I leaned my head on the shoulder.
Tu accotas Tu accotas le vélo contre le mur. You leaned the bike against the wall.
Il accota Il accota sa chaise contre la table. He leaned his chair against the table.
Elle accota Elle accota son dos contre le mur. She leaned her back against the wall.
On accota On accota le bâton contre l’arbre. One leaned the stick against the tree.
Nous accotâmes Nous accotâmes les vélos contre le mur. We leaned the bikes against the wall.
Vous accotâtes Vous accotâtes les valises sur le banc. You leaned the suitcases on the bench.
Ils accotèrent Ils accotèrent les chaises contre le mur. They leaned the chairs against the wall.
Elles accotèrent Elles accotèrent leur tête sur l’épaule. They (feminine) leaned their head on the shoulder.

Other Conjugations for Accoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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