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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabiner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of cabiner. 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 “cabiner” is “to confine” or “to lock up.” The infinitive form of “cabiner” is pronounced as “ka-bee-neh.”

The verb “cabiner” has its origins in the Latin word “capanna,” which means “hut” or “small house.” In everyday French, the verb is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in formal writing and storytelling.

Examples of “cabiner” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Il cabinA les oiseaux dans une cage. (He locked up the birds in a cage.)
  2. Nous cAbinâmes le chat dans la chambre toute la nuit. (We confined the cat in the room all night.)
  3. Les gardes cAbinèrent les prisonniers dans des cellules individuelles. (The guards locked up the prisoners in individual cells.)

English translations:

  1. He locked up the birds in a cage.
  2. We confined the cat in the room all night.
  3. The guards locked up the prisoners in individual cells.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cabinai Je cabinai dans la forêt. I cabined in the forest.
Tu cabinas Tu cabinas avec ton ami. You cabined with your friend.
Il cabina Il cabina dans la montagne. He cabined in the mountain.
Elle cabina Elle cabina dans une cabane. She cabined in a cabin.
On cabina On cabina près du lac. One cabined near the lake.
Nous cabinâmes Nous cabinâmes dans les Alpes. We cabined in the Alps.
Vous cabinâtes Vous cabinâtes en plein air. You cabined outdoors.
Ils cabinèrent Ils cabinèrent dans un chalet. They cabined in a chalet.
Elles cabinèrent Elles cabinèrent en montagne. They (feminine) cabined in the mountain.

Other Conjugations for Cabiner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabiner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 cabiner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply