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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cogiter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of cogiter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “cogiter” is “to think deeply” or “to ponder.” The infinitive form of “cogiter” is pronounced as “koh-zhee-teh.”

The verb “cogiter” originated from Latin, where it derived from the word “cogitare,” meaning “to think” or “to ponder.” It is most often used in everyday French to express deep thinking or reflecting on a specific subject or problem.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “cogiter” is less commonly used in everyday conversation as it is considered a literary or formal tense. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple, along with their English translations:

  1. Il cogita longtemps avant de prendre une décision.
    (He pondered for a long time before making a decision.)

  2. J’eus cogité toute la nuit à ce problème sans trouver de solution.
    (I thought deeply about this problem all night without finding a solution.)

  3. Après avoir cogité pendant des heures, elle prit finalement une décision.
    (After thinking deeply for hours, she finally made a decision.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, such as literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cogitai Je cogitai longtemps. I thought for a long time.
Tu cogitas Tu cogitas toute la nuit. You thought all night.
Il cogita Il cogita une solution. He thought of a solution.
Elle cogita Elle cogita une réponse. She thought of an answer.
On cogita On cogita une stratégie. One thought of a strategy.
Nous cogitâmes Nous cogitâmes ensemble. We thought together.
Vous cogitâtes Vous cogitâtes profondément. You thought deeply.
Ils cogitèrent Ils cogitèrent longuement. They thought for a long time.
Elles cogitèrent Elles cogitèrent intensément. They (feminine) thought intensely.

Other Conjugations for Cogiter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the cogiter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply