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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compartimenter

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The English translation of the French verb “compartimenter” is “to compartmentalize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “compartimenter” is kɔ̃.paʁ.ti.mɑ̃.te.

“Compartimenter” originates from the French word “compartiment,” which means “compartment.” It is often used in everyday French to express the act of dividing or separating something into distinct parts or compartments.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “compartimenter” is used less frequently in everyday conversation, as this tense is primarily found in literature. Nonetheless, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les scientifiques compartimentèrent le laboratoire en plusieurs sections. (The scientists compartmentalized the laboratory into several sections.)
  2. Elle compartimenta ses émotions pour rester concentrée sur son travail. (She compartmentalized her emotions to stay focused on her work.)
  3. Les enquêteurs compartimentèrent les preuves afin de mieux les analyser. (The investigators compartmentalized the evidence in order to analyze it more effectively.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is no longer commonly used in spoken French and is mainly found in written literature or formal contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je compartimentai J’ai compartimentai les documents. I compartmentalized the documents.
Tu compartimentas Tu compartimentas les affaires. You compartmentalized the belongings.
Il compartimenta Il compartimenta les produits. He compartmentalized the products.
Elle compartimenta Elle compartimenta la nourriture. She compartmentalized the food.
On compartimenta On compartimenta les outils. One compartmentalized the tools.
Nous compartimentâmes Nous compartimentâmes les médicaments. We compartmentalized the medications.
Vous compartimentâtes Vous compartimentâtes les bagages. You compartmentalized the luggage.
Ils compartimentèrent Ils compartimentèrent les dossiers. They compartmentalized the files.
Elles compartimentèrent Elles compartimentèrent les valises. They (feminine) compartmentalized the suitcases.

Other Conjugations for Compartimenter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compartimenter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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