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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claver

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The English translation of the French verb “claver” is “to chatter” or “to babble.” The infinitive form “claver” is pronounced as [klavay].

The verb “claver” originates from the Latin word “clavare,” which means “to speak quickly or incoherently.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense.

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

  1. Ils clavèrent toute la nuit. (They chattered/babbled all night.)
  2. Elle clava tout le long du trajet en voiture. (She chattered/babbled all along the car ride.)
  3. Les enfants clavèrent joyeusement pendant le repas. (The children chattered/babbled joyfully during the meal.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French. It is mainly found in written literature, formal writing, or historical contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clavai J’ai clavai la porte. I nailed the door.
Tu clavas Tu as clavas le tableau. You nailed the painting.
Il clava Il avait clava la planche. He nailed the plank.
Elle clava Elle avait clava le cadre. She nailed the frame.
On clava On avait clava les étagères. One nailed the shelves.
Nous clavâmes Nous avons clavâmes les planches. We nailed the planks.
Vous clavâtes Vous avez clavâtes les clous. You nailed the nails.
Ils clavèrent Ils avaient clavèrent les poutres. They nailed the beams.
Elles clavèrent Elles avaient clavèrent les vis. They (feminine) nailed the screws.

Other Conjugations for Claver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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