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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clisser

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The English translation of the French verb “clisser” is “to slide.” The infinitive form “clisser” is pronounced as “klee-sey.”

The word “clisser” originates from the Old French word “chlicier,” which is derived from the Frankish word “klikōną” meaning “to snatch” or “to catch quickly.” In everyday French, “clisser” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense when talking about past events that are isolated or punctual.

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

  1. Je clissai sur le sol mouillé. (I slid on the wet floor.)
  2. Tu clissas le long de la rampe. (You slid along the railing.)
  3. Il/Elle/On clissa rapidement vers la sortie. (He/She/One slid quickly towards the exit.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken French, the passé composé tense is more commonly used to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clissai Je clissai sur la glace. I slid on the ice.
Tu clissas Tu clissas sur la pente. You slid down the slope.
Il clissa Il clissa sur la neige. He slid on the snow.
Elle clissa Elle clissa sur la patinoire. She slid on the ice rink.
On clissa On clissa sur le sol mouillé. One slid on the wet floor.
Nous clissâmes Nous clissâmes sur la rampe. We slid on the ramp.
Vous clissâtes Vous clissâtes sur le toboggan. You slid on the slide.
Ils clissèrent Ils clissèrent sur la piste. They slid on the track.
Elles clissèrent Elles clissèrent sur la glissade. They (feminine) slid on the slide.

Other Conjugations for Clisser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clisser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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