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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alpaguer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of alpaguer. 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 “alpaguer” is “to collar” or “to nab.” The infinitive form “alpaguer” is pronounced as [al-pa-ge].

The word “alpaguer” is derived from the French word “alpaga” meaning “alpaca.” It is believed that the term originated from the world of shepherds who had to catch and collar alpacas. In everyday French, “alpaguer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe the action of abruptly catching or stopping someone, usually with a negative connotation.

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

  1. Les policiers l’alpaguèrent lorsqu’il tenta de s’échapper.
    (The police nabbed him when he tried to escape.)

  2. L’agent de sécurité les alpagua pour vol à l’étalage.
    (The security guard collared them for shoplifting.)

  3. Les journalistes ont été alpagués par les fans lors de leur arrivée à l’aéroport.
    (The journalists were accosted by fans upon their arrival at the airport.)

It’s important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written and formal contexts in French, while the more commonly used tense for spoken language is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je alpaguai Je l’alpaguai dans la rue. I caught him in the street.
Tu alpaguas Tu l’alpaguas pour lui parler. You caught him to talk to him.
Il alpagua Il l’alpagua pour le questionner. He caught him to question him.
Elle alpagua Elle l’alpagua pour obtenir des informations. She caught him to get information.
On alpagua On l’alpagua pour le punir. One caught him to punish him.
Nous alpaguâmes Nous l’alpaguâmes pour son comportement. We caught him for his behavior.
Vous alpaguâtes Vous l’alpaguâtes pour lui demander de l’aide. You caught him to ask for his help.
Ils alpaguèrent Ils l’alpaguèrent pour le vol. They caught him for the theft.
Elles alpaguèrent Elles l’alpaguèrent pour son mensonge. They (feminine) caught him for his lie.

Other Conjugations for Alpaguer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alpaguer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 alpaguer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply