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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cataloguer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of cataloguer. 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 “cataloguer” is “to catalog” or “to catalogue.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cataloguer” is [ka.ta.lɔ.ɡe].

The word “cataloguer” originates from the Latin word “catalogare,” meaning “to make a list” or “to register.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in written narratives and formal speech.

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

  1. J’arrivai à la bibliothèque et je cataloguai tous les nouveaux livres. (I arrived at the library and catalogued all the new books.)
  2. Elle catalogua toutes les œuvres d’art pour l’exposition. (She catalogued all the artworks for the exhibition.)
  3. Les archivistes cataloguèrent les documents historiques du musée. (The archivists catalogued the historical documents of the museum.)

Note: While the Passé Simple tense is still used in literature and formal writing, it is rarely used in spoken language or everyday conversations in modern French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cataloguai J’ai catalogué tous les livres. I catalogued all the books.
Tu cataloguas Tu cataloguas les CDs. You catalogued the CDs.
Il catalogua Il catalogua les documents. He catalogued the documents.
Elle catalogua Elle catalogua les magazines. She catalogued the magazines.
On catalogua On catalogua les articles. One catalogued the articles.
Nous cataloguâmes Nous cataloguâmes les films. We catalogued the films.
Vous cataloguâtes Vous cataloguâtes les produits. You catalogued the products.
Ils cataloguèrent Ils cataloguèrent les œuvres d’art. They catalogued the artworks.
Elles cataloguèrent Elles cataloguèrent les peintures. They (feminine) catalogued the paintings.

Other Conjugations for Cataloguer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cataloguer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 cataloguer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply