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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contracturer

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The English translation of the French verb “contracturer” is “to contract” or “to tense up.” The infinitive form “contracturer” is pronounced as “kohn-trahk-tyuh-ray.”

The word “contracturer” comes from the Latin word “contractura,” which means “contraction.” In everyday French, this verb is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events that are complete and not ongoing.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “contracturer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Je contracturai mes muscles pour soulever les poids.
    (I tensed up my muscles to lift the weights.)

  2. Tu contracturas tes épaules lorsque tu as senti la tension.
    (You tensed up your shoulders when you felt the tension.)

  3. Les joueurs contracturèrent leurs muscles avant le match.
    (The players tensed up their muscles before the match.)

In these examples, “contracturer” is used to describe the action of tensing or contracting muscles.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je contracturai J’ai contracturé mon dos. I contracted my back.
Tu contracturas Tu contracturas tes muscles. You contracted your muscles.
Il contractura Il contractura son cou. He contracted his neck.
Elle contractura Elle contractura ses épaules. She contracted her shoulders.
On contractura On contractura ses tendons. One contracted their tendons.
Nous contracturâmes Nous contracturâmes nos jambes. We contracted our legs.
Vous contracturâtes Vous contracturâtes vos bras. You contracted your arms.
Ils contracturèrent Ils contracturèrent leurs muscles. They contracted their muscles.
Elles contracturèrent Elles contracturèrent leurs dos. They (feminine) contracted their backs.

Other Conjugations for Contracturer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contracturer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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