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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capturer

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The English translation of the French verb “capturer” is “to capture.” The infinitive form of “capturer” is pronounced as “kahp-too-rey.”

The verb “capturer” is derived from the Latin word “captura,” which means “capture.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to past actions that are completed and no longer ongoing. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written language and formal contexts, as in spoken language, the Passé Composé tense is preferred.

Here are three simple examples of how “capturer” is used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il captura le criminel hier soir.
    (He captured the criminal last night.)

  2. L’armée captura la base ennemie pendant la guerre.
    (The army captured the enemy base during the war.)

  3. Les photographes capturèrent l’instant avec leurs appareils.
    (The photographers captured the moment with their cameras.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is used in formal writing, in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly employed to talk about past actions and events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je capturai Je capturai le voleur. I captured the thief.
Tu capturas Tu capturas l’oiseau. You captured the bird.
Il captura Il captura le criminel. He captured the criminal.
Elle captura Elle captura le papillon. She captured the butterfly.
On captura On captura le fugitif. One captured the fugitive.
Nous capturâmes Nous capturâmes le poisson. We captured the fish.
Vous capturâtes Vous capturâtes le lion. You captured the lion.
Ils capturèrent Ils capturèrent le serpent. They captured the snake.
Elles capturèrent Elles capturèrent les araignées. They (feminine) captured the spiders.

Other Conjugations for Capturer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capturer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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