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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canonner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of canonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “canonner” is “to shell” or “to bombard.” The infinitive form “canonner” is pronounced as “ka-no-neh.”

The verb “canonner” originates from the noun “canon,” meaning “cannon” in English. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of bombarding or shelling with cannons or artillery. In the Passé Simple tense, which is mostly used in formal or literary contexts, “canonner” refers to past actions or events that are completed and not ongoing.

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

  1. Les soldats canonèrent la ville pendant la guerre.
    (The soldiers shelled the city during the war.)

  2. Les navires ennemis canonnèrent la côte toute la nuit.
    (The enemy ships bombarded the coast all night.)

  3. Les forces d’artillerie canonnèrent les positions ennemies avec précision.
    (The artillery forces shelled the enemy positions with precision.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been largely replaced by the Passé Composé in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je canonai Je canonai la cible. I cannoned the target.
Tu canonas Tu canonas le mur. You cannoned the wall.
Il canonna Il canonna le navire. He cannoned the ship.
Elle canonna Elle canonna la forêt. She cannoned the forest.
On canonna On canonna le champ de bataille. One cannoned the battlefield.
Nous canonnâmes Nous canonnâmes les positions ennemies. We cannoned the enemy positions.
Vous canonnâtes Vous canonnâtes la ville. You cannoned the city.
Ils canonnèrent Ils canonnèrent l’ennemi. They cannoned the enemy.
Elles canonnèrent Elles canonnèrent les troupes. They (feminine) cannoned the troops.

Other Conjugations for Canonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the canonner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply