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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coopérer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of coopérer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “coopérer” is “to cooperate.” The infinitive form of “coopérer” is pronounced as “ko-o-pe-ray.”

The verb “coopérer” originates from the Latin word “cooperari,” which means “to work together.” In everyday French, “coopérer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used for storytelling or formal writing. However, in spoken language and informal writing, the Passé Composé tense is more frequently used to talk about past events.

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

  1. Nous coopérâmes pour résoudre le problème.
    (We cooperated to solve the problem.)

  2. Les deux pays coopérèrent afin de renforcer leur relation diplomatique.
    (The two countries cooperated to strengthen their diplomatic relationship.)

  3. L’équipe coopéra efficacement malgré les différences culturelles.
    (The team cooperated effectively despite cultural differences.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language, so it is more common to hear “nous avons coopéré” (we cooperated) or “l’équipe a coopéré” (the team cooperated) in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je coopérai Je coopérai avec lui. I cooperated with him.
Tu coopéras Tu coopéras avec elle. You cooperated with her.
Il coopéra Il coopéra avec eux. He cooperated with them.
Elle coopéra Elle coopéra avec nous. She cooperated with us.
On coopéra On coopéra avec vous. One cooperated with you.
Nous coopérâmes Nous coopérâmes avec eux. We cooperated with them.
Vous coopérâtes Vous coopérâtes avec elle. You cooperated with her.
Ils coopérèrent Ils coopérèrent avec nous. They cooperated with us.
Elles coopérèrent Elles coopérèrent avec lui. They (feminine) cooperated with him.

Other Conjugations for Coopérer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coopérer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the coopérer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply