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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calotter

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The English translation of the French verb “calotter” is “to cap” or “to put a cap on.” The infinitive form “calotter” is pronounced as “ka-loh-teh.”

The word “calotter” has its origins in the Old French word “calote” which means “cap.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when describing actions that occurred in the past and are seen as completed events.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Hier, il calotta sa tête avec un chapeau. (Yesterday, he put a cap on his head with a hat.)
  2. L’année dernière, nous calottâmes tous les enfants pour les protéger du soleil. (Last year, we capped all the children to protect them from the sun.)
  3. Ils calottèrent leurs bouteilles avant de les mettre dans le sac à dos. (They capped their bottles before putting them in the backpack.)

These examples illustrate the use of “calotter” in the Simple Past tense, describing specific actions that took place in the past and are considered finished.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je calottai J’ai calottai la balle. I hit the ball.
Tu calottas Tu calottas le chapeau. You tipped the hat.
Il calotta Il calotta la cigarette. He put out the cigarette.
Elle calotta Elle calotta son verre. She refilled her glass.
On calotta On calotta la table. One cleared the table.
Nous calottâmes Nous calottâmes les feuilles. We flipped through the pages.
Vous calottâtes Vous calottâtes la porte. You shut the door.
Ils calottèrent Ils calottèrent la bouteille. They capped the bottle.
Elles calottèrent Elles calottèrent la boîte. They (feminine) closed the box.

Other Conjugations for Calotter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calotter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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