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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cibler

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The English translation of the French verb “cibler” is “to target” or “to aim.” The infinitive form “cibler” is pronounced as “see-bleh.”

The verb “cibler” originated from the Latin word “cipellere,” which means “to aim at.” It is commonly used in everyday French, particularly in the Passé Simple tense, to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in written literature.

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

  1. J’appris à cibler avec précision. (I learned to target with precision.)
  2. L’équipe cibla les joueurs adverses. (The team targeted the opposing players.)
  3. Elle cibla ses efforts sur l’amélioration de son français. (She focused her efforts on improving her French.)

These examples demonstrate the use of “cibler” in the Passé Simple tense, where the actions were targeted or aimed at in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je ciblai J’ai ciblé le centre. I targeted the center.
Tu ciblas Tu ciblas la cible. You targeted the target.
Il cibla Il cibla le joueur. He targeted the player.
Elle cibla Elle cibla le but. She targeted the goal.
On cibla On cibla le point faible. One targeted the weak point.
Nous ciblâmes Nous ciblâmes l’ennemi. We targeted the enemy.
Vous ciblâtes Vous ciblâtes la victime. You targeted the victim.
Ils ciblèrent Ils ciblèrent le chef. They targeted the leader.
Elles ciblèrent Elles ciblèrent l’équipe adverse. They (feminine) targeted the opposing team.

Other Conjugations for Cibler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cibler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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