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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chamailler

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The English translation of the French verb “chamailler” is “to bicker” or “to quarrel.” The infinitive form of “chamailler” is pronounced as sha-may-ay.

The word “chamailler” comes from the Middle French word “chamaillier,” which meant “to quarrel” or “to bicker.” It originated from the Old French word “chamaille,” meaning “trouble” or “quarrel.” In everyday French, “chamailler” is most often used in the present tense to describe arguments or disputes between people.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “chamailler” is less commonly used in everyday French. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Ils chamaillèrent toute la journée. (They bickered all day.)
  2. Les enfants chamaillèrent au parc hier. (The children quarreled at the park yesterday.)
  3. Nous chamaillâmes pendant nos vacances en famille. (We bickered during our family vacation.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts, and it is less commonly used in spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chamaillai J’ai chamaillé avec mon frère. I argued with my brother.
Tu chamaillas Tu chamaillas toute la journée. You argued all day.
Il chamailla Il chamailla avec sa sœur. He argued with his sister.
Elle chamailla Elle chamailla avec son ami. She argued with her friend.
On chamailla On chamailla sans cesse. One argued constantly.
Nous chamaillâmes Nous chamaillâmes pour le contrôle de la télécommande. We argued over the remote control.
Vous chamaillâtes Vous chamaillâtes pour une bêtise. You argued over something trivial.
Ils chamaillèrent Ils chamaillèrent pour un jouet. They argued over a toy.
Elles chamaillèrent Elles chamaillèrent pour une robe. They (feminine) argued over a dress.

Other Conjugations for Chamailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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