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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carreler

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The English translation of the French verb “carreler” is “to tile.” The infinitive form “carreler” is pronounced as “ka-ray-lay.”

The word “carreler” comes from the French noun “carreau,” meaning “tile” or “square.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in formal or written language. The Passé Simple is a literary tense used to describe completed actions in the past.

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

  1. Ils carrelèrent la salle de bain. (They tiled the bathroom.)
  2. Nous carrelâmes la cuisine. (We tiled the kitchen.)
  3. Elle carrela son balcon. (She tiled her balcony.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the examples provided are more commonly seen in written or formal contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je carrelai J’ai carrelai la salle de bain. I tiled the bathroom.
Tu carrelas Tu as carrelas la cuisine. You tiled the kitchen.
Il carrela Il a carrela le sol. He tiled the floor.
Elle carrela Elle a carrela la terrasse. She tiled the terrace.
On carrela On a carrela la piscine. One tiled the pool.
Nous carrelâmes Nous avons carrelâmes le salon. We tiled the living room.
Vous carrelâtes Vous avez carrelâtes le couloir. You tiled the hallway.
Ils carrelèrent Ils ont carrelèrent la salle à manger. They tiled the dining room.
Elles carrelèrent Elles ont carrelèrent la chambre. They (feminine) tiled the bedroom.

Other Conjugations for Carreler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carreler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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