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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clouer

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The English translation of the French verb “clouer” is “to nail.” The infinitive form of “clouer” is pronounced as “kloo-ey.”

The word “clouer” originates from the Latin word “clavare,” meaning “to nail.” In everyday French, the verb “clouer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is used to describe completed actions in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal or literary contexts and not in everyday spoken French.

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

  1. Il cloua le tableau au mur.
    (He nailed the painting to the wall.)

  2. Elle cloua ses chaussures avec soin.
    (She carefully nailed her shoes.)

  3. Les ouvriers clouèrent les planches pour construire l’étagère.
    (The workers nailed the planks to build the shelf.)

Please remember that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in everyday spoken language, and other tenses like the Passé Composé or Imparfait are more commonly used to discuss past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je clouai J’ai clouai le tableau. I nailed the painting.
Tu clouas Tu clouas la planche. You nailed the board.
Il cloua Il cloua le clou. He nailed the nail.
Elle cloua Elle cloua la porte. She nailed the door.
On cloua On cloua le cadre. One nailed the frame.
Nous clouâmes Nous clouâmes les planches. We nailed the boards.
Vous clouâtes Vous clouâtes les étagères. You nailed the shelves.
Ils clouèrent Ils clouèrent les tuiles. They nailed the tiles.
Elles clouèrent Elles clouèrent les photos. They (feminine) nailed the photos.

Other Conjugations for Clouer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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