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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cartonner

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The English translation of the French verb “cartonner” is “to be a hit” or “to be very successful.” The infinitive form “cartonner” is pronounced as “kar-toh-nay.”

The word “cartonner” comes from the noun “carton,” which means “cardboard.” In everyday French, “cartonner” is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to express past actions that were very successful or had a significant impact.

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

  1. Le film “Titanic” cartonna au box-office. (The movie “Titanic” was a big hit at the box office.)
  2. Sa nouvelle chanson cartonna dans les classements musicaux. (His new song was a great success in the music charts.)
  3. La pièce de théâtre cartonna lors de sa première représentation. (The play was a huge success during its first performance.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature and formal writing. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cartonnai J’ai cartonnai le test. I aced the test.
Tu cartonnas Tu cartonnas à l’examen. You aced the exam.
Il cartonna Il cartonna le projet. He aced the project.
Elle cartonna Elle cartonna son audition. She aced her audition.
On cartonna On cartonna la compétition. One aced the competition.
Nous cartonnâmes Nous cartonnâmes au concours. We aced the contest.
Vous cartonnâtes Vous cartonnâtes à l’épreuve. You aced the test.
Ils cartonnèrent Ils cartonnèrent à l’interrogation. They aced the quiz.
Elles cartonnèrent Elles cartonnèrent aux examens. They (feminine) aced the exams.

Other Conjugations for Cartonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cartonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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