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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiffonner

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The English translation of the French verb “chiffonner” is “to crumple” or “to wrinkle”. The infinitive form, “chiffonner”, is pronounced as [ʃi.fɔ.ne].

The word “chiffonner” comes from the French noun “chiffon”, meaning a rag or a scrap of cloth. It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in formal writing or storytelling.

Here are three examples of “chiffonner” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Je chiffonnai la lettre pour la jeter à la poubelle.
    (I crumpled the letter to throw it in the trash.)
  2. Elle chiffonna son dessin parce qu’elle n’était pas satisfaite.
    (She crumpled her drawing because she was not satisfied.)
  3. Les enfants chiffonnèrent le papier pour faire des boules.
    (The children crumpled the paper to make balls.)

In these examples, “chiffonner” is used to express the action of crumpling or wrinkling something in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chiffonnai Je chiffonnai le papier. I crumpled the paper.
Tu chiffonnas Tu chiffonnas la chemise. You crumpled the shirt.
Il chiffonna Il chiffonna la lettre. He crumpled the letter.
Elle chiffonna Elle chiffonna le tissu. She crumpled the fabric.
On chiffonna On chiffonna le document. One crumpled the document.
Nous chiffonnâmes Nous chiffonnâmes les feuilles. We crumpled the sheets.
Vous chiffonnâtes Vous chiffonnâtes le document. You crumpled the document.
Ils chiffonnèrent Ils chiffonnèrent les photos. They crumpled the photos.
Elles chiffonnèrent Elles chiffonnèrent la robe. They (feminine) crumpled the dress.

Other Conjugations for Chiffonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiffonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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