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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chapitrer

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The English translation of the French verb “chapitrer” is “to chastise” or “to scold.” The infinitive form “chapitrer” is pronounced as [sha-pee-tray].

The verb “chapitrer” originates from the Latin word “capitulum,” which means “chapter” or “section.” In everyday French, the verb is mostly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in a literary or formal context.

Here are three examples of “chapitrer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Le professeur chapitra les élèves pour leur comportement irrespectueux.
    (The teacher scolded the students for their disrespectful behavior.)

  2. Le père chapitra son fils pour avoir désobéi.
    (The father chastised his son for disobeying.)

  3. Le chef d’équipe chapitra ses collègues pour leur manque de productivité.
    (The team leader chastised his colleagues for their lack of productivity.)

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

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chapitrai Je chapitrai le livre. I chaptered the book.
Tu chapitras Tu chapitras le roman. You chaptered the novel.
Il chapitra Il chapitra l’histoire. He chaptered the story.
Elle chapitra Elle chapitra le manuel. She chaptered the manual.
On chapitra On chapitra le document. One chaptered the document.
Nous chapitrâmes Nous chapitrâmes la thèse. We chaptered the thesis.
Vous chapitrâtes Vous chapitrâtes le rapport. You chaptered the report.
Ils chapitrèrent Ils chapitrèrent le livre. They chaptered the book.
Elles chapitrèrent Elles chapitrèrent le roman. They (feminine) chaptered the novel.

Other Conjugations for Chapitrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chapitrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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