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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb convoiter

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The English translation of the French verb “convoiter” is “to covet” or “to desire strongly.” The infinitive form “convoiter” is pronounced as “kɔ̃.vwat.e”.

The verb “convoiter” comes from the Latin word “concupiscere” which means “to desire eagerly.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past events or actions that have been completed. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal or literary contexts, and in spoken language, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express the past.

Here are three examples of the usage of “convoiter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Elle convoita la voiture de son voisin. (She coveted her neighbor’s car.)
  2. Ils convoitèrent les terres du village voisin. (They coveted the lands of the neighboring village.)
  3. Le jeune homme convoita la belle robe dans la vitrine. (The young man coveted the beautiful dress in the shop window.)

In these examples, you can see how “convoiter” is used to express a strong desire or longing for something in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je convoitai J’ai convoité la voiture. I coveted the car.
Tu convoitas Tu convoitas l’argent. You coveted the money.
Il convoita Il convoita le poste. He coveted the position.
Elle convoita Elle convoita la robe. She coveted the dress.
On convoita On convoita le pouvoir. One coveted the power.
Nous convoitâmes Nous convoitâmes la maison. We coveted the house.
Vous convoitâtes Vous convoitâtes le bijou. You coveted the jewel.
Ils convoitèrent Ils convoitèrent le territoire. They coveted the territory.
Elles convoitèrent Elles convoitèrent le trésor. They (feminine) coveted the treasure.

Other Conjugations for Convoiter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb convoiter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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