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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cirer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of cirer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “cirer” is “to wax.” The infinitive form “cirer” is pronounced as [see-ray].

The verb “cirer” comes from the Latin word “cērare,” which means “to wax.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is mainly used in written language and formal contexts to describe past events.

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

  1. J’entrai dans la pièce et cirai mes chaussures. (I entered the room and waxed my shoes.)
  2. Le garçon cira ses skis avant de partir à la montagne. (The boy waxed his skis before heading to the mountains.)
  3. Elle cira la table en bois avec soin. (She waxed the wooden table carefully.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is less commonly used in spoken French, where the passé composé (compound past) tense is more prevalent.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cirai Je cirai mes chaussures. I polished my shoes.
Tu ciras Tu ciras la table en bois. You polished the wooden table.
Il cira Il cira le parquet. He polished the floor.
Elle cira Elle cira ses meubles. She polished her furniture.
On cira On cira la voiture. One polished the car.
Nous cirâmes Nous cirâmes les bottes. We polished the boots.
Vous cirâtes Vous cirâtes les escaliers. You polished the stairs.
Ils cirèrent Ils cirèrent les chaussures. They polished the shoes.
Elles cirèrent Elles cirèrent les meubles. They (feminine) polished the furniture.

Other Conjugations for Cirer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cirer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the cirer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply