Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Introduction to the verb citer
The English translation of the French verb “citer” is “to quote” or “to mention.” The infinitive form “citer” is pronounced as “see-tay.”
The verb “citer” originates from the Latin word “citare,” meaning “to summon” or “to call upon.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is considered a literary tense and is rarely used in spoken language. However, it is commonly found in written literature, historical texts, or formal writing.
Here are three examples of “citer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:
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Le professeur cita plusieurs auteurs français lors de sa conférence. (The professor quoted several French authors during his lecture.)
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Elle cita les vers célèbres de Victor Hugo lors de son discours. (She mentioned the famous verses of Victor Hugo during her speech.)
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Le journaliste cita le rapport officiel pour appuyer ses arguments. (The journalist cited the official report to support his arguments.)
Note: While the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, it is still essential to understand and recognize it when reading literary texts or older documents.
Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of citer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
Je | citai | J’ai citai son nom. | I cited his name. |
Tu | citas | Tu citas les sources. | You cited the sources. |
Il | cita | Il cita le texte. | He cited the text. |
Elle | cita | Elle cita l’auteur. | She cited the author. |
On | cita | On cita l’article. | One cited the article. |
Nous | citâmes | Nous citâmes le livre. | We cited the book. |
Vous | citâtes | Vous citâtes le poème. | You cited the poem. |
Ils | citèrent | Ils citèrent le discours. | They cited the speech. |
Elles | citèrent | Elles citèrent la référence. | They (feminine) cited the reference. |
Other Conjugations for Citer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
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Citer – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense
Formation
Usage
Narration
Historical Context
Interactions with other tenses
Passé Composé
Imparfait
Conditional and Subjunctive
Summary
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