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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clignoter

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The English translation of the French verb “clignoter” is “to blink” or “to flash.” The infinitive form of “clignoter” is pronounced as “klee-nyo-tey.”

The word “clignoter” comes from the Latin word “clinare,” meaning “to incline” or “to bend.” In everyday French, “clignoter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions that occurred in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is generally used in formal writing or literature, while the Passé Composé is more commonly used in spoken French.

Examples of “clignoter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les lumières clignotèrent dans toute la ville pendant la panne d’électricité.
    (The lights blinked all over the city during the power outage.)

  2. Le voyant du tableau de bord clignota quelques fois avant de s’éteindre complètement.
    (The dashboard indicator blinked a few times before turning off completely.)

  3. Les étoiles clignotèrent dans le ciel nocturne, créant un spectacle magnifique.
    (The stars blinked in the night sky, creating a magnificent spectacle.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is less frequently used in spoken French, it is still important to be familiar with its structure and usage in formal situations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clignotai J’ai clignotai la lumière. I blinked the light.
Tu clignotas Tu clignotas des yeux. You blinked your eyes.
Il clignota Il clignota rapidement. He blinked quickly.
Elle clignota Elle clignota deux fois. She blinked twice.
On clignota On clignota la lampe. One blinked the lamp.
Nous clignotâmes Nous clignotâmes en rythme. We blinked in rhythm.
Vous clignotâtes Vous clignotâtes de surprise. You blinked in surprise.
Ils clignotèrent Ils clignotèrent les lumières. They blinked the lights.
Elles clignotèrent Elles clignotèrent des yeux. They (feminine) blinked their eyes.

Other Conjugations for Clignoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clignoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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