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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb connoter

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The English translation of the French verb “connoter” is “to connote.” The infinitive form “connoter” is pronounced as “koh-noh-teh.”

The verb “connoter” comes from the Latin word “connotare,” which means “to mark together.” In everyday French, “connoter” is commonly used in the infinitive form, present tense, and past tense to express the connotation or implied meaning of something, especially in relation to language, symbols, or signs.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “connoter” is less frequently used in everyday French. However, here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Les mots qu’il a choisis connotèrent une grande tristesse. (The words he chose connoted great sadness.)
  2. Les couleurs vives du tableau connotèrent un sentiment de joie intense. (The bright colors of the painting connoted a feeling of intense joy.)
  3. Les symboles utilisés connotèrent une signification mystique. (The symbols used connoted a mystical meaning.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts, while the more common past tense in everyday spoken French is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je connotai Je connotai cette expression. I connoted this expression.
Tu connotas Tu connotas cet événement. You connoted this event.
Il connota Il connota cette image. He connoted this image.
Elle connota Elle connota cette chanson. She connoted this song.
On connota On connota cette situation. One connoted this situation.
Nous connotâmes Nous connotâmes ce mot. We connoted this word.
Vous connotâtes Vous connotâtes cette phrase. You connoted this sentence.
Ils connotèrent Ils connotèrent ce concept. They connoted this concept.
Elles connotèrent Elles connotèrent cette idée. They (feminine) connoted this idea.

Other Conjugations for Connoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb connoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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