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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coquiller

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The English translation of the French verb “coquiller” is “to shell” or “to remove the shell.” The infinitive form “coquiller” is pronounced as “koh-kee-yay.”

The verb “coquiller” originates from the French word “coquille,” meaning “shell.” It is derived from Latin “conchylia,” which also means “shell.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used in spoken language, as it is mostly reserved for formal writing or literature. However, here are three simple examples of “coquiller” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Hier soir, j’étais seul à la maison et j’ai coquillé tous les œufs pour la recette. (Last night, I was alone at home, and I shelled all the eggs for the recipe.)
  2. Elle coquilla les noix de cajou avant de les ajouter à la salade. (She shelled the cashews before adding them to the salad.)
  3. Les enfants coquillèrent les crevettes pour préparer une délicieuse soupe. (The children shelled the shrimps to prepare a delicious soup.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is more commonly replaced by the Passé Composé tense in spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je coquillai J’ai coquillé les œufs. I cracked the eggs.
Tu coquillas Tu as coquillé le chocolat. You cracked the chocolate.
Il coquilla Il a coquillé les noix. He cracked the nuts.
Elle coquilla Elle a coquillé les crevettes. She cracked the shrimps.
On coquilla On a coquillé les huîtres. One cracked the oysters.
Nous coquillâmes Nous avons coquillé les moules. We cracked the mussels.
Vous coquillâtes Vous avez coquillé les langoustines. You cracked the langoustines.
Ils coquillèrent Ils ont coquillé les crabes. They cracked the crabs.
Elles coquillèrent Elles ont coquillé les escargots. They (feminine) cracked the snails.

Other Conjugations for Coquiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coquiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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