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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiner

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The English translation of the French verb “chiner” is “to go bargain hunting” or “to hunt for bargains.” The infinitive form “chiner” is pronounced /shi-ne/.

The word “chiner” comes from the French noun “chine,” which means “spine” or “back.” This noun originally referred to the back of a book, and later on, it came to designate the back or spine of an object. In the 19th century, the word “chiner” emerged as a verb and took on the meaning of searching for or collecting antiques or second-hand items.

In everyday French, the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense is rarely used in spoken language but is commonly found in written literature, historical texts, or formal writing. Here are three simple examples of using “chiner” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Hier, elle china un magnifique vase en porcelaine.
    Translation: Yesterday, she found a magnificent porcelain vase while bargain hunting.

  2. L’année dernière, ils chinèrent de vieux meubles pour leur nouvelle maison.
    Translation: Last year, they hunted for old furniture for their new house.

  3. Quand j’étais jeune, je chinai de nombreux livres rares dans les brocantes.
    Translation: When I was young, I found many rare books while bargain hunting at flea markets.

Please note that in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé (Present Perfect) tense is more commonly used to talk about past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je chinai Je chinai un vieux livre. I scoured for an old book.
Tu chinas Tu chinas un objet rare. You scoured for a rare object.
Il china Il china une belle pièce. He scoured for a beautiful piece.
Elle china Elle china un meuble ancien. She scoured for an antique piece of furniture.
On china On china des bibelots. One scoured for knick-knacks.
Nous chinâmes Nous chinâmes des antiquités. We scoured for antiques.
Vous chinâtes Vous chinâtes de vieux vêtements. You scoured for old clothes.
Ils chinèrent Ils chinèrent des objets insolites. They scoured for unusual objects.
Elles chinèrent Elles chinèrent des articles de collection. They (feminine) scoured for collectibles.

Other Conjugations for Chiner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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