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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cordonner

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The English translation of the French verb “cordonner” is “to cobble” or “to repair shoes.” The infinitive form “cordonner” is pronounced as kɔʁ.dɔ.ne.

The French verb “cordonner” originated from the noun “cordon” meaning “lace” or “string,” which comes from the Latin word “chordō” meaning “cord.” It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the act of repairing or making shoes.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “cordonner” is primarily used in formal writing or literature to describe completed actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the Simple Past tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il cordonna les chaussures avec soin.
    (He cobbled the shoes carefully.)
  2. Le cordonnier cordonna les sandales de cuir.
    (The cobbler repaired the leather sandals.)
  3. Ils cordonnèrent les bottes en une journée.
    (They cobbled the boots in one day.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cordonnai J’ai cordonné mes chaussures. I laced up my shoes.
Tu cordonnas Tu cordonnas son sac. You laced up his bag.
Il cordonna Il cordonna ses vêtements. He laced up his clothes.
Elle cordonna Elle cordonna ses bottes. She laced up her boots.
On cordonna On cordonna ses baskets. One laced up their sneakers.
Nous cordonnâmes Nous cordonnâmes nos chaussures. We laced up our shoes.
Vous cordonnâtes Vous cordonnâtes vos sandales. You laced up your sandals.
Ils cordonnèrent Ils cordonnèrent leurs bottines. They laced up their ankle boots.
Elles cordonnèrent Elles cordonnèrent leurs souliers. They (feminine) laced up their shoes.

Other Conjugations for Cordonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cordonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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