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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cerner

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The English translation of the French verb “cerner” is “to surround” or “to encircle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cerner” is [sɛʁ.ne].

The verb “cerner” originated from the Latin word “cernere,” which means “to separate” or “to distinguish.” In everyday French, “cerner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary equivalent of the past tense. However, it is not frequently used in modern spoken French, as it has been largely replaced by the compound past tense (Passé Composé) in everyday conversation.

Here are three simple examples of how “cerner” is used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les soldats cernèrent l’ennemi de tous côtés.
    (The soldiers surrounded the enemy from all sides.)

  2. Le détective cerna rapidement le coupable.
    (The detective quickly identified the culprit.)

  3. L’équipe adverse cerna les joueurs de notre équipe.
    (The opposing team enclosed our players.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts, and its usage in spoken French is limited.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cernai Je cernai les informations. I surrounded the information.
Tu cernas Tu cernas la vérité. You surrounded the truth.
Il cerna Il cerna les contours. He surrounded the contours.
Elle cerna Elle cerna la situation. She surrounded the situation.
On cerna On cerna le problème. One surrounded the problem.
Nous cernâmes Nous cernâmes le sujet. We surrounded the subject.
Vous cernâtes Vous cernâtes l’ennemi. You surrounded the enemy.
Ils cernèrent Ils cernèrent la ville. They surrounded the city.
Elles cernèrent Elles cernèrent le champ. They (feminine) surrounded the field.

Other Conjugations for Cerner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cerner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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