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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cornaquer

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The English translation of the French verb “cornaquer” is “to lead” or “to shepherd.” The infinitive form “cornaquer” is pronounced as “kɔʁ.na.ke”.

The word “cornaquer” originates from the Old French word “cornaque,” which means “shepherd’s crook.” It is derived from the Latin word “cornū” meaning “horn.” In everyday French, “cornaquer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense rarely used in spoken language.

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

  1. Il cornaqua les moutons dans la prairie.
    (He led the sheep into the meadow.)

  2. Elle cornaqua son équipe vers la victoire.
    (She guided her team towards victory.)

  3. Le berger cornaqua son chien pour rassembler le troupeau.
    (The shepherd directed his dog to gather the flock.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cornaquai J’cornaquai les chevaux. I rounded up the horses.
Tu cornaquas Tu cornaquas les moutons. You rounded up the sheep.
Il cornaqua Il cornaqua les vaches. He rounded up the cows.
Elle cornaqua Elle cornaqua les poules. She rounded up the chickens.
On cornaqua On cornaqua les chiens. One rounded up the dogs.
Nous cornaquâmes Nous cornaquâmes les animaux. We rounded up the animals.
Vous cornaquâtes Vous cornaquâtes les chèvres. You rounded up the goats.
Ils cornaquèrent Ils cornaquèrent les canards. They rounded up the ducks.
Elles cornaquèrent Elles cornaquèrent les lapins. They (feminine) rounded up the rabbits.

Other Conjugations for Cornaquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cornaquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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