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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chavirer

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The English translation of the French verb “chavirer” is “to capsize” or “to overturn.” The infinitive form “chavirer” is pronounced as sha-vee-rey.

The word “chavirer” originated from the old French word “chaver” meaning “to overturn” or “to upset.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of a boat or ship overturning or capsizing. However, it can also be used figuratively to express someone’s emotional or mental state being overwhelmed or turned upside down.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “chavirer” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je chavirai (I capsized)
  • Tu chaviras (You capsized)
  • Il/elle chavira (He/she capsized)
  • Nous chavirâmes (We capsized)
  • Vous chavirâtes (You capsized)
  • Ils/elles chavirèrent (They capsized)

Examples of “chavirer” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Le bateau chavira pendant la tempête. (The boat capsized during the storm.)
  2. Son cœur chavira quand il la vit pour la première fois. (His heart overturned when he saw her for the first time.)
  3. Les supporters chavirèrent de joie lorsque leur équipe gagna la finale. (The fans capsized with joy when their team won the final.)

English translations:

  1. The boat capsized during the storm.
  2. His heart overturned when he saw her for the first time.
  3. The fans capsized with joy when their team won the final.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chavirai Je chavirai dans les vagues. I capsized in the waves.
Tu chaviras Tu chaviras en pleine mer. You capsized in the open sea.
Il chavira Il chavira sous la pression. He capsized under the pressure.
Elle chavira Elle chavira lors de la tempête. She capsized during the storm.
On chavira On chavira à cause des vagues. One capsized because of the waves.
Nous chavirâmes Nous chavirâmes en kayak. We capsized in the kayak.
Vous chavirâtes Vous chavirâtes dans le canot. You capsized in the canoe.
Ils chavirèrent Ils chavirèrent en bateau. They capsized in the boat.
Elles chavirèrent Elles chavirèrent en voilier. They (feminine) capsized in the sailboat.

Other Conjugations for Chavirer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chavirer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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