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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calquer

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The English translation of the French verb “calquer” is “to copy” or “to trace.” The infinitive form of “calquer” is pronounced as “kal-ke”.

The word “calquer” originated from the Latin word “calcāre” which means “to tread” or “to trample.” In everyday French, “calquer” is commonly used to refer to the act of copying or imitating something closely, often in the context of art, design, or language.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “calquer” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je calquai (I copied)
  • Tu calquas (You copied)
  • Il/elle/on calqua (He/she/one copied)
  • Nous calquâmes (We copied)
  • Vous calquâtes (You copied)
  • Ils/elles calquèrent (They copied)

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

  1. J’ouvris le livre et je calquai la courbe. (I opened the book and traced the curve.)
  2. Le designer calqua les motifs traditionnels pour créer un nouveau modèle. (The designer copied the traditional patterns to create a new design.)
  3. Ils calquèrent le discours de leur professeur pour préparer leur exposé. (They copied their teacher’s speech to prepare their presentation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je calquai J’ai calqué son style. I copied his style.
Tu calquas Tu calquas le dessin. You copied the drawing.
Il calqua Il calqua le texte. He copied the text.
Elle calqua Elle calqua le modèle. She copied the template.
On calqua On calqua le schéma. One copied the diagram.
Nous calquâmes Nous calquâmes le projet. We copied the project.
Vous calquâtes Vous calquâtes sa méthode. You copied his method.
Ils calquèrent Ils calquèrent leur idée. They copied their idea.
Elles calquèrent Elles calquèrent la structure. They (feminine) copied the structure.

Other Conjugations for Calquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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