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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cacarder

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The English translation of the French verb “cacarder” is “to cackle” or “to squawk.” The infinitive form of “cacarder” is pronounced as [ka.kaʁ.de].

The verb “cacarder” comes from the onomatopoeic sound that represents a hen’s clucking or a duck’s quacking. In everyday French, it is often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions that occurred in the past, typically in more formal or literary contexts.

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

  1. Les poules cacardèrent dans la cour. (The hens cackled in the yard.)
  2. Le canard cacarda bruyamment à l’aube. (The duck squawked loudly at dawn.)
  3. Les oies cacardèrent en s’envolant vers le ciel. (The geese cackled as they flew off into the sky.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature or formal writing, and has largely been replaced by the Passé Composé in spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cacardai J’ai cacardé dans la ferme. I quacked in the farm.
Tu cacardas Tu as cacardé toute la journée. You quacked all day.
Il cacarda Il cacarda avec les autres canards. He quacked with the other ducks.
Elle cacarda Elle cacarda avec enthousiasme. She quacked enthusiastically.
On cacarda On cacarda dans l’étang. One quacked in the pond.
Nous cacardâmes Nous cacardâmes joyeusement. We quacked happily.
Vous cacardâtes Vous cacardâtes avec force. You quacked forcefully.
Ils cacardèrent Ils cacardèrent en tandem. They quacked in tandem.
Elles cacardèrent Elles cacardèrent bruyamment. They (feminine) quacked loudly.

Other Conjugations for Cacarder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cacarder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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