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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cloner

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The English translation of the French verb “cloner” is “to clone.” The infinitive form of “cloner” is pronounced as /klɔ.ne/.

The word “cloner” originates from the French noun “clone,” which comes from the Greek word “klōn” meaning “twig, cutting.” The verb “cloner” appeared in the French language in the late 20th century with the advancement of genetic science.

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language, but it is commonly found in written or formal contexts such as literature, historical accounts, or formal writing. However, in informal conversations, the Passé Composé tense is more widely employed.

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

  1. Les scientifiques clonèrent avec succès leur premier animal en 1996.
    Translation: The scientists successfully cloned their first animal in 1996.

  2. L’équipe de recherche clona le gène responsable de cette maladie rare.
    Translation: The research team cloned the gene responsible for this rare disease.

  3. Les chercheurs clonèrent les cellules souches pour étudier leur potentiel thérapeutique.
    Translation: The researchers cloned stem cells to study their therapeutic potential.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clonai J’ai clonai le chat. I cloned the cat.
Tu clonas Tu as clonas le chien. You cloned the dog.
Il clona Il a clona la plante. He cloned the plant.
Elle clona Elle a clona le rat. She cloned the rat.
On clona On a clona le poisson. One cloned the fish.
Nous clonâmes Nous avons clonâmes les souris. We cloned the mice.
Vous clonâtes Vous avez clonâtes le singe. You cloned the monkey.
Ils clonèrent Ils ont clonèrent les vaches. They cloned the cows.
Elles clonèrent Elles ont clonèrent les moutons. They (feminine) cloned the sheep.

Other Conjugations for Cloner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cloner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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