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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cagner

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The English translation of the French verb “cagner” is “to whine” or “to complain.” The infinitive form of “cagner” is pronounced as [kaɲe].

The verb “cagner” originates from the colloquial French language. It is an informal term that is commonly used in everyday French to express the act of complaining or whining about something. It is not typically used in formal or written contexts.

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

  1. Hier, il cagna toute la soirée. (Yesterday, he whined all evening.)
  2. Ils cagnèrent pendant des heures à propos du temps qu’il faisait. (They complained for hours about the weather.)
  3. Elle cagna sans cesse sur ses collègues. (She constantly whined about her colleagues.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature or formal writing, and is less commonly used in spoken language or everyday conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cagnai Je cagnai un peu d’argent. I won a little money.
Tu cagnas Tu cagnas un prix. You won a prize.
Il cagna Il cagna la compétition. He won the competition.
Elle cagna Elle cagna le match. She won the game.
On cagna On cagna une médaille. One won a medal.
Nous cagnâmes Nous cagnâmes le jackpot. We won the jackpot.
Vous cagnâtes Vous cagnâtes un trophée. You won a trophy.
Ils cagnèrent Ils cagnèrent beaucoup d’argent. They won a lot of money.
Elles cagnèrent Elles cagnèrent une récompense. They (feminine) won an award.

Other Conjugations for Cagner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cagner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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