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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb classer

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The English translation of the French verb “classer” is “to classify” or “to sort.” The infinitive form “classer” is pronounced as “klah-say.”

The verb “classer” originated from the Latin word “classis,” which meant “class” or “category.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used to describe completed actions in the past. In modern spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to talk about past events.

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

  1. J’entrai dans la bibliothèque et je classai les livres par ordre alphabétique.
    (I entered the library and sorted the books in alphabetical order.)

  2. Elle classa les dossiers selon leur importance.
    (She classified the files according to their importance.)

  3. Nous classâmes les documents par date de création.
    (We classified the documents by their creation date.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal writing and literature, whereas in spoken French, the Passé Composé tense would be used in these scenarios.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je classai Je classai les documents. I classified the documents.
Tu classas Tu classas les livres. You classified the books.
Il classa Il classa les dossiers. He classified the files.
Elle classa Elle classa les photos. She classified the photos.
On classa On classa les objets. One classified the objects.
Nous classâmes Nous classâmes les papiers. We classified the papers.
Vous classâtes Vous classâtes les articles. You classified the articles.
Ils classèrent Ils classèrent les outils. They classified the tools.
Elles classèrent Elles classèrent les vêtements. They (feminine) classified the clothes.

Other Conjugations for Classer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb classer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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