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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carmer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of carmer. 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 “carmer” is “to caramelise.”

The infinitive form of “carmer” is pronounced as “kar-may.”

Regarding the language origin, “carmer” is derived from the French noun “caramel,” which comes from the Spanish word “caramelo” and ultimately from the Latin word “cannamellis” meaning “cane honey.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense is rarely used. It is mainly found in written literature or formal texts rather than in spoken language. However, here are three simple examples of “carmer” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je caramelisai les oignons avant d’ajouter les champignons.
    (I caramelised the onions before adding the mushrooms.)

  2. Tu caramelisas le sucre jusqu’à ce qu’il devienne doré.
    (You caramelised the sugar until it turned golden.)

  3. Elle caramelisa la crème pour préparer la sauce au caramel.
    (She caramelised the cream to make the caramel sauce.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je carmai Je carmai le chien. I calmed the dog.
Tu carmas Tu carmas l’enfant. You calmed the child.
Il calma Il calma la situation. He calmed the situation.
Elle calma Elle calma les esprits. She calmed the spirits.
On calma On calma les tensions. One calmed the tensions.
Nous calmâmes Nous calmâmes les pleurs. We calmed the tears.
Vous calmâtes Vous calmâtes les craintes. You calmed the fears.
Ils calmèrent Ils calmèrent la foule. They calmed the crowd.
Elles calmèrent Elles calmèrent les nerfs. They (feminine) calmed the nerves.

Other Conjugations for Carmer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carmer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 carmer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply