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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carillonner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of carillonner. 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 “carillonner” is “to chime” or “to ring out.” The infinitive form “carillonner” is pronounced as /ka.ʁi.jɔ.ne/.

The word “carillonner” is derived from the noun “carillon,” which refers to a set of bells played using a keyboard or automatic mechanism. It originates from the Dutch word “klokken,” meaning “bells.” In everyday French, “carillonner” is used to describe the action of bells ringing or chiming.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “carillonner” is rarely used in everyday French as this tense has become mostly literary. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les cloches carillonnèrent toute la nuit. (The bells chimed/rang out all night.)
  2. Hier, l’église carillonna pour célébrer la victoire. (Yesterday, the church chimed/rang out to celebrate the victory.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, les cloches carillonnèrent chaque dimanche matin. (When I was a child, the bells chimed/rang out every Sunday morning.)

Please note that the use of the Passé Simple tense is not common in modern spoken French, where the passé composé is more frequently used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je carillonnai Je carillonnai joyeusement. I rang the bells joyfully.
Tu carillonnas Tu carillonnas avec enthousiasme. You rang the bells enthusiastically.
Il carillonna Il carillonna toute la nuit. He rang the bells all night.
Elle carillonna Elle carillonna doucement. She rang the bells softly.
On carillonna On carillonna pour annoncer la victoire. One rang the bells to announce the victory.
Nous carillonnâmes Nous carillonnâmes pour célébrer. We rang the bells to celebrate.
Vous carillonnâtes Vous carillonnâtes pour les mariés. You rang the bells for the newlyweds.
Ils carillonnèrent Ils carillonnèrent de joie. They rang the bells with joy.
Elles carillonnèrent Elles carillonnèrent pour l’événement. They (feminine) rang the bells for the event.

Other Conjugations for Carillonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carillonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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