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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb collectionner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of collectionner. 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 “collectionner” is “to collect.” The infinitive form “collectionner” is pronounced as koh-lek-syo-nay.

The verb “collectionner” comes from the French noun “collection,” which originated from the Latin word “collectio.” In everyday French, “collectionner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to talk about past actions or events that are considered completed and have no relation to the present. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French and is less common in spoken language.

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

  1. J’achetai une figurine pour collectionner. (I bought a figurine to collect.)
  2. Elle collectionna les timbres pendant des années. (She collected stamps for years.)
  3. Nous collectionnâmes des pièces de monnaie rares. (We collected rare coins.)

Please note that in spoken language or informal writing, the Passé Composé tense is more frequently used to express past actions in French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je collectionnai J’ai collectionné des timbres. I collected stamps.
Tu collectionnas Tu collectionnas des pièces de monnaie. You collected coins.
Il collectionna Il collectionna des cartes postales. He collected postcards.
Elle collectionna Elle collectionna des œuvres d’art. She collected artworks.
On collectionna On collectionna des souvenirs. One collected souvenirs.
Nous collectionnâmes Nous avons collectionné des livres. We collected books.
Vous collectionnâtes Vous collectionnâtes des vinyles. You collected vinyl records.
Ils collectionnèrent Ils collectionnèrent des antiquités. They collected antiques.
Elles collectionnèrent Elles collectionnèrent des coquillages. They (feminine) collected seashells.

Other Conjugations for Collectionner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb collectionner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 collectionner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply