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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clôturer

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The English translation of the French verb “clôturer” is “to close” or “to conclude.” The infinitive form “clôturer” is pronounced as “kloh-tyuh-ray.”

The verb “clôturer” originates from the Old French word “closturer,” which is derived from the Latin word “clausūra” meaning “enclosure” or “closing.” In everyday French, “clôturer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to refer to the completion or conclusion of an event, action, or discussion.

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

  1. Nous clôturâmes la réunion à 18 heures.
    (We closed/concluded the meeting at 6 p.m.)

  2. Le spectacle se clôtura par une ovation du public.
    (The show concluded with an ovation from the audience.)

  3. Ils clôturèrent la vente après avoir atteint leur objectif.
    (They closed the sale after achieving their goal.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal or written French, while the more commonly used past tense in spoken French is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clôturai J’ai clôturé mon compte bancaire. I closed my bank account.
Tu clôturas Tu clôturas la discussion. You closed the discussion.
Il clôtura Il clôtura le dossier. He closed the file.
Elle clôtura Elle clôtura la réunion. She closed the meeting.
On clôtura On clôtura les inscriptions. One closed the registrations.
Nous clôturâmes Nous clôturâmes le festival. We closed the festival.
Vous clôturâtes Vous clôturâtes le compte. You closed the account.
Ils clôturèrent Ils clôturèrent l’événement. They closed the event.
Elles clôturèrent Elles clôturèrent la vente. They (feminine) closed the sale.

Other Conjugations for Clôturer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clôturer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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