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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agenouiller

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of agenouiller. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “agenouiller” is “to kneel.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “a-ge-noo-yay.”

The verb “agenouiller” originated from the Old French word “genoil” which means “knee.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is mainly employed in written language, literature, or formal contexts.

Here are three simple examples of “agenouiller” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je m’agenouillai devant le roi. (I knelt before the king.)
  2. Le soldat agenouilla les mains pour prier. (The soldier knelt down to pray.)
  3. Elle s’agenouilla pour ramasser l’anneau. (She knelt down to pick up the ring.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is less commonly used in spoken French, where the passé composé or other compound tenses are preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je m’agenouillai Je m’agenouillai devant l’autel. I knelt in front of the altar.
Tu t’agenouillas Tu t’agenouillas devant le roi. You knelt before the king.
Il s’agenouilla Il s’agenouilla pour prier. He knelt down to pray.
Elle s’agenouilla Elle s’agenouilla pour ramasser quelque chose. She knelt down to pick something up.
On s’agenouilla On s’agenouilla devant le monument. One knelt in front of the monument.
Nous nous agenouillâmes Nous nous agenouillâmes pour demander pardon. We knelt down to ask for forgiveness.
Vous vous agenouillâtes Vous vous agenouillâtes pour saluer. You knelt down to greet.
Ils s’agenouillèrent Ils s’agenouillèrent pour recevoir leur médaille. They knelt down to receive their medal.
Elles s’agenouillèrent Elles s’agenouillèrent pour ramasser les fleurs. They (feminine) knelt down to pick up the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Agenouiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agenouiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the agenouiller Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply