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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadenasser

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The English translation of the French verb “cadenasser” is “to padlock” or “to lock up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ka-de-na-se.”

Cadenasser originated from the combination of the words “cadenas” (padlock) and “asser” (a suffix used to indicate an intense or forceful action). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense.

Here are three simple examples of cadenasser used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je cadenassai la porte avant de partir. (I padlocked the door before leaving.)
  2. Il cadenassa son vélo pour le protéger. (He locked up his bike to protect it.)
  3. Les gardiens cadenassèrent l’entrée du musée à minuit. (The guards padlocked the museum entrance at midnight.)

In these examples, “cadenasser” is used to describe the action of locking something up using a padlock. The Passé Simple tense indicates that these actions happened in the past and are completed.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cadenassai J’ai cadenassai la porte. I locked the door.
Tu cadenassas Tu as cadenassas le coffre. You locked the safe.
Il cadenassa Il a cadenassa le vélo. He locked the bike.
Elle cadenassa Elle a cadenassa la valise. She locked the suitcase.
On cadenassa On a cadenassa la porte. One locked the door.
Nous cadenassâmes Nous avons cadenassâmes la grille. We locked the gate.
Vous cadenassâtes Vous avez cadenassâtes la boîte. You locked the box.
Ils cadenassèrent Ils ont cadenassèrent la porte. They locked the door.
Elles cadenassèrent Elles ont cadenassèrent la porte. They (feminine) locked the door.

Other Conjugations for Cadenasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadenasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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