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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canoniser

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The English translation of the French verb “canoniser” is “to canonize.” The infinitive form “canoniser” is pronounced as [ka-nɔ-ni-ze].

The verb “canoniser” is derived from the Latin word “canonizare,” meaning “to canonize” or “to consecrate.” In everyday French, the verb “canoniser” is commonly used to refer to the act of officially declaring someone as a saint by the Catholic Church.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, the verb “canoniser” is not frequently used in everyday French, as this tense is mainly used in formal or literary contexts. However, here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. Le pape canonisa Jeanne d’Arc en 1920. (The Pope canonized Joan of Arc in 1920.)
  2. L’église canonisa plusieurs martyrs lors de la cérémonie. (The church canonized several martyrs during the ceremony.)
  3. Le saint père canonisa le fondateur de l’ordre religieux. (The Holy Father canonized the founder of the religious order.)

Note: These examples are in the Passé Simple tense, but in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense (compound past) is more commonly used to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je canonisai J’ai canonisé le saint. I canonized the saint.
Tu canonisas Tu canonisas l’évêque. You canonized the bishop.
Il canonisa Il canonisa le pape. He canonized the pope.
Elle canonisa Elle canonisa la religieuse. She canonized the nun.
On canonisa On canonisa le martyr. One canonized the martyr.
Nous canonisâmes Nous canonisâmes les saints. We canonized the saints.
Vous canonisâtes Vous canonisâtes l’abbé. You canonized the abbot.
Ils canonisèrent Ils canonisèrent les prêtres. They canonized the priests.
Elles canonisèrent Elles canonisèrent les moniales. They (feminine) canonized the nuns.

Other Conjugations for Canoniser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canoniser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Canoniser – 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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