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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contourner

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The English translation of the French verb “contourner” is “to bypass” or “to go around.” The infinitive form “contourner” is pronounced as “kohn-toor-neh.”

The word “contourner” comes from the combination of the prefix “con-” meaning “with” or “together” and the verb “tourner” meaning “to turn.” It originates from the Latin word “contornare” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, the passé simple tense is rarely used in spoken language and has been mostly replaced by the passé composé (present perfect). However, the passé simple is still used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “contourner” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous contournerâmes la foule pour arriver plus vite à destination.
    (We bypassed the crowd to arrive at our destination faster.)

  2. Il contourna l’obstacle et continua sa course sans ralentir.
    (He went around the obstacle and continued running without slowing down.)

  3. L’armée contourna les montagnes pour surprendre l’ennemi par l’arrière.
    (The army bypassed the mountains to surprise the enemy from behind.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je contournai J’ai contournai le problème. I bypassed the problem.
Tu contourna Tu contourna la règle. You bypassed the rule.
Il contourna Il contourna l’obstacle. He bypassed the obstacle.
Elle contourna Elle contourna la difficulté. She bypassed the difficulty.
On contourna On contourna la loi. One bypassed the law.
Nous contournâmes Nous contournâmes le trafic. We bypassed the traffic.
Vous contournâtes Vous contournâtes la situation. You bypassed the situation.
Ils contournèrent Ils contournèrent les règles. They bypassed the rules.
Elles contournèrent Elles contournèrent l’interdiction. They (feminine) bypassed the prohibition.

Other Conjugations for Contourner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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