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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cascader

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The English translation of the French verb “cascader” is “to cascade” or “to fall in cascades.” The infinitive form of “cascader” is pronounced as [kahs-ka-dey].

The verb “cascader” originates from the French word “cascade,” which means “waterfall.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when describing actions or events that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in literature or formal writing.

Here are three simple examples of “cascader” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les fleurs cascadèrent depuis le balcon. (The flowers cascaded from the balcony.)
  2. Les larmes cascadèrent sur ses joues. (Tears cascaded down her cheeks.)
  3. Les mots cascadèrent de sa bouche sans réfléchir. (Words cascaded from his mouth without thinking.)

It’s important to reiterate that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the more common past tense in everyday conversation is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cascadai Je cascadai dans la rivière. I tumbled into the river.
Tu cascadas Tu cascadas dans la neige. You tumbled in the snow.
Il cascada Il cascada depuis la montagne. He tumbled down the mountain.
Elle cascada Elle cascada sur le tapis. She tumbled on the carpet.
On cascada On cascada dans les escaliers. One tumbled down the stairs.
Nous cascadâmes Nous cascadâmes dans la piscine. We tumbled into the pool.
Vous cascadâtes Vous cascadâtes dans la boue. You tumbled in the mud.
Ils cascadèrent Ils cascadèrent sur la glace. They tumbled on the ice.
Elles cascadèrent Elles cascadèrent dans le sable. They (feminine) tumbled in the sand.

Other Conjugations for Cascader.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cascader

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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