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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caner

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The English translation of the French verb “caner” is “to die” or “to kick the bucket.” The infinitive form “caner” is pronounced as “kah-neh.”

The verb “caner” originated from the Latin word “canere,” which means “to sing.” Over time, the meaning of the verb shifted to refer to dying or passing away. In everyday French, the verb “caner” is often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense.

Here are three examples of “caner” in the Passé Simple tense and their English translations:

  1. Il cana hier soir.
    (He died last night.)

  2. Elle cana paisiblement à l’âge de 90 ans.
    (She peacefully passed away at the age of 90.)

  3. Les soldats canèrent au combat.
    (The soldiers perished in combat.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, particularly in literature or formal writing. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je canai Je canai devant la foule. I sang in front of the crowd.
Tu canas Tu canas la chanson. You sang the song.
Il cana Il cana avec passion. He sang with passion.
Elle cana Elle cana sans fausse note. She sang without a false note.
On cana On cana toute la nuit. One sang all night.
Nous canâmes Nous canâmes ensemble. We sang together.
Vous canâtes Vous canâtes en choeur. You sang in chorus.
Ils canèrent Ils canèrent joyeusement. They sang joyfully.
Elles canèrent Elles canèrent en harmonie. They (feminine) sang in harmony.

Other Conjugations for Caner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Caner – 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.

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