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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cercler

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The English translation of the French verb “cercler” is “to circle” or “to encircle.” The infinitive form “cercler” is pronounced as seh-kler.

The word “cercler” originates from the Latin word “circulus,” meaning “circle.” In everyday French, “cercler” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) for actions that were completed in the past.

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

  1. Je cerclai le mot important dans le livre.
    (I circled the important word in the book.)

  2. Tu cerclas les éléments essentiels dans ton rapport.
    (You circled the essential elements in your report.)

  3. Il/Elle cercla la zone interdite avec des barrières.
    (He/She encircled the restricted area with barriers.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cerclai J’ai cerclé mon dessin. I circled my drawing.
Tu cerclas Tu as cerclé tes notes. You circled your notes.
Il cercla Il a cerclé le mot important. He circled the important word.
Elle cercla Elle a cerclé la date. She circled the date.
On cercla On a cerclé le titre. One circled the title.
Nous cerclâmes Nous avons cerclé le cercle. We circled the circle.
Vous cerclâtes Vous avez cerclé le paragraphe. You circled the paragraph.
Ils cerclèrent Ils ont cerclé les erreurs. They circled the mistakes.
Elles cerclèrent Elles ont cerclé les images. They (feminine) circled the images.

Other Conjugations for Cercler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cercler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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