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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb centrer

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The English translation of the French verb “centrer” is “to center” or “to focus.” The infinitive form “centrer” is pronounced as “sohn-tray.”

The verb “centrer” originated from the Latin word “centrum,” meaning “center.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions or events that occurred and ended in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is now primarily used in written French, particularly in literature or formal writing.

Here are three examples of “centrer” used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. J’ai centré le texte sur la page. (I centered the text on the page.)
  2. Elle centra son attention sur son travail. (She focused her attention on her work.)
  3. Ils centrèrent leurs recherches sur ce sujet. (They centered their research on this topic.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense exists in French, the use of this tense in everyday spoken French is very limited, and the Passé Composé tense is commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je centrai J’ai centré la photo. I centered the photo.
Tu centras Tu as centré le texte. You centered the text.
Il centra Il a centré le tableau. He centered the painting.
Elle centra Elle a centré le cercle. She centered the circle.
On centra On a centré le logo. One centered the logo.
Nous centrâmes Nous avons centré le document. We centered the document.
Vous centrâtes Vous avez centré la ligne. You centered the line.
Ils centrèrent Ils ont centré la sculpture. They centered the sculpture.
Elles centrèrent Elles ont centré l’image. They (feminine) centered the image.

Other Conjugations for Centrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb centrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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