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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caboter

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The English translation of the French verb “caboter” is “to coast” or “to sail along the coast.” The infinitive form “caboter” is pronounced as [ka.bo.te].

The word “caboter” comes from the French noun “cabotage,” which originally referred to the practice of coastal navigation. In everyday French, the verb “caboter” is primarily used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions or events that occurred in the past.

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

  1. Nous cabotâmes le long de la côte méditerranéenne.
    (We coasted along the Mediterranean coast.)
  2. L’équipage cabota jusqu’à l’île voisine.
    (The crew sailed along the coast to the neighboring island.)
  3. Les pêcheurs cabotèrent pendant des heures avant de rentrer au port.
    (The fishermen coasted for hours before returning to the port.)

These examples demonstrate the use of “caboter” in the past tense to describe specific instances of coasting or sailing along the coast.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cabotai Je cabotai le long de la côte. I coasted along the shore.
Tu cabotas Tu cabotas près des rochers. You coasted near the rocks.
Il cabota Il cabota jusqu’à l’île. He coasted to the island.
Elle cabota Elle cabota vers le port. She coasted towards the port.
On cabota On cabota le long de la rivière. One coasted along the river.
Nous cabotâmes Nous cabotâmes toute la journée. We coasted all day.
Vous cabotâtes Vous cabotâtes jusqu’à la plage. You coasted to the beach.
Ils cabotèrent Ils cabotèrent jusqu’au coucher du soleil. They coasted until sunset.
Elles cabotèrent Elles cabotèrent près des falaises. They (feminine) coasted near the cliffs.

Other Conjugations for Caboter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caboter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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