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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “caqueter” is “to cackle” or “to chatter.” The infinitive form of “caqueter” is pronounced as “ka-ke-te.”

The verb “caqueter” has its origins in the onomatopoeic word for the sound made by a hen, “cackling.” In everyday French, it is commonly used to describe the sound made by birds, particularly hens, or to refer to talking in a frivolous or meaningless manner.

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

  • je caquetai: I cackled
  • tu caquetas: you cackled (informal)
  • il/elle/on caqueta: he/she/one cackled
  • nous caquetâmes: we cackled
  • vous caquetâtes: you cackled (formal/plural)
  • ils/elles caquetèrent: they cackled

Examples of “caqueter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les poules caquetaient joyeusement dans la ferme.
    (The hens cackled happily on the farm.)

  2. Quand nous sommes arrivés, les enfants caquetèrent sans arrêt pendant des heures.
    (When we arrived, the children cackled non-stop for hours.)

  3. Les oiseaux caquetèrent dans les arbres, créant une symphonie naturelle.
    (The birds cackled in the trees, creating a natural symphony.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature, and is less commonly used in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je caquetai Je caquetai avec mes amies. I chattered with my friends.
Tu caquetas Tu caquetas sans cesse. You chattered incessantly.
Il caqueta Il caqueta comme une pie. He chattered like a magpie.
Elle caqueta Elle caqueta joyeusement. She chattered happily.
On caqueta On caqueta dans le parc. One chattered in the park.
Nous caquetâmes Nous caquetâmes toute la journée. We chattered all day.
Vous caquetâtes Vous caquetâtes avec les voisins. You chattered with the neighbors.
Ils caquetèrent Ils caquetèrent devant la télé. They chattered in front of the TV.
Elles caquetèrent Elles caquetèrent sans arrêt. They (feminine) chattered non-stop.

Other Conjugations for Caqueter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caqueter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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