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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadencer

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The English translation of the French verb “cadencer” is “to rhythm” or “to set the rhythm.” The infinitive form “cadencer” is pronounced as “ka-dahn-sey”.

The verb “cadencer” originated from the Latin word “cadentia,” meaning “falling” or “rhythm.” In everyday French, it is commonly used to refer to setting or adjusting the rhythm of something, whether it be in music, speech, writing, or any other context that involves the concept of rhythm.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), which is mainly used in written French, “cadencer” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je cadençai: I set the rhythm.
  • Tu cadenças: You set the rhythm.
  • Il/Elle/On cadença: He/She/One set the rhythm.

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

  1. Le chef d’orchestre cadençai la musique avec précision.
    (The conductor set the rhythm of the music with precision.)

  2. Le professeur cadença son discours pour maintenir l’attention des étudiants.
    (The professor paced his speech to maintain the students’ attention.)

  3. La poétesse cadença ses vers pour créer un effet rythmique unique.
    (The poetess rhythmized her verses to create a unique rhythmic effect.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cadençai J’ai cadençai la musique. I paced the music.
Tu cadenças Tu cadenças le rythme. You paced the rhythm.
Il cadença Il cadença sa respiration. He paced his breathing.
Elle cadença Elle cadença ses pas. She paced her steps.
On cadença On cadença la danse. One paced the dance.
Nous cadençâmes Nous cadençâmes ensemble. We paced together.
Vous cadençâtes Vous cadençâtes la course. You paced the race.
Ils cadencèrent Ils cadencèrent leur mouvements. They paced their movements.
Elles cadencèrent Elles cadencèrent leur chant. They (feminine) paced their singing.

Other Conjugations for Cadencer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadencer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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