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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clamper

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The English translation of the French verb “clamper” is “to clamp.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “klam-peh.”

The verb “clamper” originates from the Old French word “clamper” meaning “to seize” or “to hold firmly.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in formal or literary contexts.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Je clampai la porte pour l’empêcher de s’ouvrir.
    (I clamped the door to prevent it from opening.)

  2. Tu clampras les documents ensemble avec une agrafeuse.
    (You clamped the documents together with a stapler.)

  3. Les ouvriers clamperent les pièces métalliques avant de les souder.
    (The workers clamped the metal parts before welding them.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, especially in informal conversations. It is mostly found in written literature, historical texts, or formal writing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clampai J’clampai le tuyau. I clamped the hose.
Tu clampas Tu clampas la pièce. You clamped the piece.
Il clampa Il clampa le câble. He clamped the cable.
Elle clampa Elle clampa le tube. She clamped the tube.
On clampa On clampa la conduite. One clamped the pipe.
Nous clampâmes Nous clampâmes le robinet. We clamped the faucet.
Vous clampâtes Vous clampâtes le boulon. You clamped the bolt.
Ils clampèrent Ils clampèrent le tuyau. They clamped the hose.
Elles clampèrent Elles clampèrent la vis. They (feminine) clamped the screw.

Other Conjugations for Clamper.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clamper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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