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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb celer

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The English translation of the French verb “céler” is “to conceal” or “to hide.” The infinitive form of “céler” is pronounced as /se.le/.

The verb “céler” comes from the Latin word “celare,” meaning “to hide” or “to conceal.” In everyday French, the passé simple tense (simple past) is rarely used in spoken language but is found in written literature, particularly in more formal or literary texts.

Here are three examples of the verb “céler” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il céla son secret pendant des années.
    (He concealed/hid his secret for years.)

  2. Elle céla son désespoir derrière un sourire.
    (She concealed/hid her despair behind a smile.)

  3. Ils célérent leur surprise en le voyant arriver.
    (They concealed/hid their surprise upon seeing him arrive.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is mainly used in literature, and in modern spoken French, the passé composé or other compound tenses are more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je celai Je celai mes sentiments. I concealed my feelings.
Tu celas Tu celas le secret. You concealed the secret.
Il cela Il cela son identité. He concealed his identity.
Elle cela Elle cela ses intentions. She concealed her intentions.
On cela On cela la vérité. One concealed the truth.
Nous celâmes Nous celâmes nos émotions. We concealed our emotions.
Vous celâtes Vous celâtes vos intentions. You concealed your intentions.
Ils celèrent Ils celèrent la décision. They concealed the decision.
Elles celèrent Elles celèrent leur présence. They (feminine) concealed their presence.

Other Conjugations for Celer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb celer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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