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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coupler

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The English translation of the French verb “coupler” is “to couple” or “to connect.” The infinitive form “coupler” is pronounced as “koo-pleh.”

The word “coupler” originated from the Latin word “copulare,” which means “to join together.” In everyday French, “coupler” is commonly used in its infinitive form or in the present participle form “couplant” to describe the action of connecting or joining two or more things together. This verb is frequently used in technical or mechanical contexts.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “coupler” is used to refer to actions that occurred and were completed in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. J’acquis les connaissances nécessaires et je couplai les câbles. (I acquired the necessary knowledge, and I connected the cables.)
  2. Il coupla les wagons avec habileté. (He coupled the wagons skillfully.)
  3. Elle coupla les tuyaux sans aucune fuite. (She connected the pipes without any leaks.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in formal writing or literature.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je couplai J’ai couplé les câbles. I connected the cables.
Tu couplas Tu couplas les appareils. You connected the devices.
Il coupla Il coupla les prises. He connected the plugs.
Elle coupla Elle coupla les fils. She connected the wires.
On coupla On coupla les connecteurs. One connected the connectors.
Nous couplâmes Nous couplâmes les machines. We connected the machines.
Vous couplâtes Vous couplâtes les systèmes. You connected the systems.
Ils couplèrent Ils couplèrent les tuyaux. They connected the pipes.
Elles couplèrent Elles couplèrent les prises. They (feminine) connected the plugs.

Other Conjugations for Coupler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coupler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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