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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chatouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “chatouiller” is “to tickle.” The infinitive form “chatouiller” is pronounced as [sha-too-yay].

The verb “chatouiller” comes from the Old French word “chatoillier” which means “to titillate.” It is derived from the Latin word “catullare” meaning “to tickle.” In everyday French, “chatouiller” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense when narrating past actions and events in a formal or literary context.

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

  1. Il chatouilla sa sœur jusqu’à ce qu’elle éclate de rire.
    (He tickled his sister until she burst into laughter.)

  2. Les enfants se chatouillèrent mutuellement lors de la soirée pyjama.
    (The children tickled each other during the pajama party.)

  3. Le chatouillement du plumeau provoqua une crise de fou rire.
    (The tickling sensation of the feather duster caused a fit of laughter.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in literature, and in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé or Imparfait tenses are more commonly used to describe past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chatouillai Je chatouillai mon ami. I tickled my friend.
Tu chatouillas Tu chatouillas ton frère. You tickled your brother.
Il chatouilla Il chatouilla sa sœur. He tickled his sister.
Elle chatouilla Elle chatouilla son cousin. She tickled her cousin.
On chatouilla On chatouilla le bébé. One tickled the baby.
Nous chatouillâmes Nous chatouillâmes les enfants. We tickled the children.
Vous chatouillâtes Vous chatouillâtes les chatons. You tickled the kittens.
Ils chatouillèrent Ils chatouillèrent le chien. They tickled the dog.
Elles chatouillèrent Elles chatouillèrent le chat. They (feminine) tickled the cat.

Other Conjugations for Chatouiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chatouiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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