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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb classifier

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The English translation of the French verb “classifier” is “to classify.” The infinitive form, “classifier,” is pronounced as [klasəfje].

The verb “classifier” comes from the Latin word “classificare,” which means “to classify.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions or events that occurred and were completed in the past. The Passé Simple is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts.

Here are three examples of “classifier” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’ai classifié les documents hier. (I classified the documents yesterday.)
  2. Elle classifia les dossiers par ordre alphabétique. (She classified the files in alphabetical order.)
  3. Nous avons classifié les livres selon leur genre littéraire. (We classified the books according to their literary genre.)

It’s worth noting that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, where the compound past tense (Passé Composé) is more commonly employed.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je classifiai J’ai classifié les données. I classified the data.
Tu classifias Tu as classifié les documents. You classified the documents.
Il classifia Il a classifié les fichiers. He classified the files.
Elle classifia Elle a classifié les images. She classified the images.
On classifia On a classifié les emails. One classified the emails.
Nous classifiâmes Nous avons classifié les dossiers. We classified the folders.
Vous classifiâtes Vous avez classifié les articles. You classified the articles.
Ils classifièrent Ils ont classifié les rapports. They classified the reports.
Elles classifièrent Elles ont classifié les vidéos. They (feminine) classified the videos.

Other Conjugations for Classifier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb classifier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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