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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coudoyer

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The English translation of the French verb “coudoyer” is “to brush against” or “to rub shoulders with.” The infinitive form of “coudoyer” is pronounced as [koo-dwah-yey].

The word “coudoyer” comes from the noun “coude,” meaning “elbow” in French. It originated from the Latin word “cubitus,” which had a similar meaning. In everyday French, “coudoyer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past events or actions. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly reserved for formal writing or literature.

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

  1. Il coudoya son voisin dans le couloir. (He brushed against his neighbor in the hallway.)
  2. Pendant le concert, elle a coudoyé une célébrité. (During the concert, she rubbed shoulders with a celebrity.)
  3. Nous coudoyâmes des personnes très intéressantes lors de la soirée. (We rubbed shoulders with very interesting people at the party.)

These examples illustrate the usage of “coudoyer” in the past, describing instances where someone brushed against or interacted closely with others.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je coudoyai Je coudoyai mon voisin. I bumped into my neighbor.
Tu coudoyas Tu coudoyas la table. You bumped into the table.
Il coudoya Il coudoya son ami. He bumped into his friend.
Elle coudoya Elle coudoya la chaise. She bumped into the chair.
On coudoya On coudoya la foule. One bumped into the crowd.
Nous coudoyâmes Nous coudoyâmes les inconnus. We bumped into strangers.
Vous coudoyâtes Vous coudoyâtes les passagers. You bumped into the passengers.
Ils coudoyèrent Ils coudoyèrent les spectateurs. They bumped into the spectators.
Elles coudoyèrent Elles coudoyèrent les piétons. They (feminine) bumped into the pedestrians.

Other Conjugations for Coudoyer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coudoyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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