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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caster

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The English translation of the French verb “caster” is “to cast” or “to throw.” The infinitive form “caster” is pronounced as [kas-te].

The verb “caster” originates from the Latin word “castare,” meaning “to throw.” In everyday French, the verb “caster” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is primarily found in written French, particularly in literature or formal writing.

Here are three examples of “caster” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il casta son regard sur la foule. (He cast his gaze upon the crowd.)
  2. Elle casta une ombre sur le mur. (She cast a shadow on the wall.)
  3. Ils castèrent les dés pour décider qui allait commencer. (They cast the dice to decide who would start.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple is used in written French, in spoken language, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je castai Je castai un sort. I cast a spell.
Tu castas Tu castas le sortilège. You cast the spell.
Il casta Il casta la magie. He cast the magic.
Elle casta Elle casta un sortilège. She cast a spell.
On casta On casta un sort. One cast a spell.
Nous castâmes Nous castâmes le sortilège. We cast the spell.
Vous castâtes Vous castâtes la magie. You cast the magic.
Ils castèrent Ils castèrent un sort. They cast a spell.
Elles castèrent Elles castèrent le sortilège. They (feminine) cast the spell.

Other Conjugations for Caster.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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