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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cahoter

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The English translation of the French verb “cahoter” is “to jolt” or “to bump.” The infinitive form of “cahoter” is pronounced as [ka.ɔ.te].

The verb “cahoter” originated from the Old French word “cahoter,” which means “to move in an uneven manner.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions that occurred abruptly or in a bumpy manner.

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

  1. Le bus cahota sur la route défoncée. (The bus jolted on the bumpy road.)
  2. Le train cahota brusquement, faisant tomber les passagers. (The train jolted abruptly, causing the passengers to fall.)
  3. La voiture cahota sur les pavés, ce qui rendit le trajet inconfortable. (The car bumped on the cobblestones, making the journey uncomfortable.)

It’s important to note that while the Passé Simple tense is still used in literature, it is less commonly used in everyday spoken French. The Passé Composé or other compound tenses are typically used in modern spoken French to describe past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cahotai Je cahotai sur la route. I jolted on the road.
Tu cahotas Tu cahotas dans le train. You jolted in the train.
Il cahota Il cahota en voiture. He jolted in the car.
Elle cahota Elle cahota à vélo. She jolted on the bike.
On cahota On cahota dans le bus. One jolted in the bus.
Nous cahotâmes Nous cahotâmes en avion. We jolted in the plane.
Vous cahotâtes Vous cahotâtes en bateau. You jolted in the boat.
Ils cahotèrent Ils cahotèrent en train. They jolted in the train.
Elles cahotèrent Elles cahotèrent à cheval. They (feminine) jolted on horseback.

Other Conjugations for Cahoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cahoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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