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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “coqueter” is “to flirt.” The infinitive form “coqueter” is pronounced as “koh-keh-teh.”

“Coqueter” derives from the French noun “coquette,” which refers to a woman who flirts. It originated in the 17th century from the verb “coqueter” meaning “to strut like a proud or vain person.” Over time, it evolved to its current meaning of “to flirt.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language, and the focus is usually on more commonly used past tenses like the Passé Composé. However, in formal or written French, the Passé Simple is used to narrate past events in a concise manner.

Here are three examples of using “coqueter” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Elle coqueta avec tous les invités lors de la soirée.
    (She flirted with all the guests at the party.)

  2. Il coqueta avec elle pendant des mois avant de lui avouer ses sentiments.
    (He flirted with her for months before confessing his feelings.)

  3. Elles coquetèrent avec les garçons pendant leurs vacances en France.
    (They flirted with the boys during their vacation in France.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je coquetai Je coquetai avec lui. I flirted with him.
Tu coquetas Tu coquetas avec elle. You flirted with her.
Il coqueta Il coqueta toute la soirée. He flirted all evening.
Elle coqueta Elle coqueta avec les garçons. She flirted with the boys.
On coqueta On coqueta sans retenue. One flirted unabashedly.
Nous coquetâmes Nous coquetâmes avec nos admirateurs. We flirted with our admirers.
Vous coquetâtes Vous coquetâtes avec les filles. You flirted with the girls.
Ils coquetèrent Ils coquetèrent avec les dames. They flirted with the ladies.
Elles coquetèrent Elles coquetèrent avec les hommes. They (feminine) flirted with the men.

Other Conjugations for Coqueter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coqueter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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