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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calmer

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The English translation of the French verb “calmer” is “to calm.” The infinitive form of “calmer” is pronounced as kal-mey.

The verb “calmer” originated from the Latin word “calmāre,” which means “to calm, soothe.” In everyday French, “calmer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past. This tense is more commonly used in written French, such as in literature or formal writing, rather than in spoken language.

Here are three examples of the usage of “calmer” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Je calmai mes frères en leur donnant des conseils.
    (I calmed my brothers down by giving them advice.)

  2. Il calma sa colère après avoir entendu des excuses sincères.
    (He calmed his anger after hearing sincere apologies.)

  3. Elle calma sa nervosité en faisant quelques respirations profondes.
    (She calmed her nervousness by taking a few deep breaths.)

Note: In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is typically used instead of the Passé Simple to express completed actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je calmai Je calmai mes nerfs. I calmed my nerves.
Tu calmas Tu calmas le chien. You calmed the dog.
Il calma Il calma la foule. He calmed the crowd.
Elle calma Elle calma ses pleurs. She calmed her tears.
On calma On calma la situation. One calmed the situation.
Nous calmâmes Nous calmâmes l’enfant. We calmed the child.
Vous calmâtes Vous calmâtes la colère. You calmed the anger.
Ils calmèrent Ils calmèrent les esprits. They calmed the spirits.
Elles calmèrent Elles calmèrent le bébé. They (feminine) calmed the baby.

Other Conjugations for Calmer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calmer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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