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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cajoler

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The English translation of the French verb “cajoler” is “to cajole” or “to coax.” The infinitive form “cajoler” is pronounced as [ka.ʒɔ.le].

The word “cajoler” has its origins in the Latin word “coccolare,” which means “to cuddle” or “to pamper.” In everyday French, “cajoler” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is mainly found in written literature or formal speech.

Examples of “cajoler” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Elle cajola son frère pour obtenir un bonbon. (She cajoled her brother to get a candy.)
  2. Il la cajola en lui offrant des fleurs. (He cajoled her by giving her flowers.)
  3. Les parents cajolèrent leur enfant pour qu’il fasse ses devoirs. (The parents cajoled their child to do his homework.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, so these examples may sound formal or literary.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cajolai Je la cajolai pour la convaincre. I cajoled her to convince her.
Tu cajolas Tu cajolas le chien pour le calmer. You cajoled the dog to calm him down.
Il cajola Il cajola sa mère pour obtenir la permission. He cajoled his mother to get permission.
Elle cajola Elle cajola son ami pour l’aider. She cajoled her friend to help her.
On cajola On cajola la foule avec de belles paroles. One cajoled the crowd with beautiful words.
Nous cajolâmes Nous cajolâmes les enfants pour les faire sourire. We cajoled the children to make them smile.
Vous cajolâtes Vous cajolâtes votre patron pour obtenir une promotion. You cajoled your boss to get a promotion.
Ils cajolèrent Ils cajolèrent leur professeur pour avoir un délai. They cajoled their teacher to get an extension.
Elles cajolèrent Elles cajolèrent leur chat pour qu’il se laisse caresser. They (feminine) cajoled their cat to let them pet him.

Other Conjugations for Cajoler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cajoler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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