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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb civiliser

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The English translation of the French verb “civiliser” is “to civilize.” The infinitive form “civiliser” is pronounced as “see-vee-lee-zay.”

The verb “civiliser” has its origins in the Latin word “civilis,” meaning “civil” or “civilized.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past events or actions that occurred and were completed in the past.

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

  1. Les Romains civilisèrent les Gaulois. (The Romans civilized the Gauls.)
  2. Les missionnaires civilisèrent les tribus indigènes. (The missionaries civilized the indigenous tribes.)
  3. Les colons civilisèrent les régions sauvages. (The settlers civilized the wild regions.)

In these examples, “civiliser” is used to express the action of civilizing a group or region in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je civilisai Je civilisai cette tribu. I civilized this tribe.
Tu civilisas Tu civilisas les sauvages. You civilized the savages.
Il civilisa Il civilisa les terres. He civilized the lands.
Elle civilisa Elle civilisa la population. She civilized the population.
On civilisa On civilisa la région. One civilized the region.
Nous civilisâmes Nous civilisâmes le peuple. We civilized the people.
Vous civilisâtes Vous civilisâtes les coutumes. You civilized the customs.
Ils civilisèrent Ils civilisèrent les colonies. They civilized the colonies.
Elles civilisèrent Elles civilisèrent les tribus. They (feminine) civilized the tribes.

Other Conjugations for Civiliser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb civiliser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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