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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courailler

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of courailler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “courailler” is “to chase” or “to run after.” The infinitive form of “courailler” is pronounced as “koo-ray-yay.”

The word “courailler” comes from the Old French word “curreer” which means “to run.” It is mainly used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense for actions that occurred and ended in the past. However, it is worth noting that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts, while the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used in spoken and informal written French.

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

  1. Il courailla après le chat qui avait volé sa nourriture.
    (He chased after the cat that had stolen his food.)

  2. Les enfants couraillèrent dans le jardin pendant des heures.
    (The children ran after each other in the garden for hours.)

  3. Le chien courailla derrière la balle jusqu’à ce qu’il s’épuise.
    (The dog chased after the ball until it got tired.)

Please note that while the above examples are given in the Passé Simple tense, they might be more commonly expressed in the Passé Composé tense in everyday spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je couraillai Je couraillai vers la ligne d’arrivée. I sprinted towards the finish line.
Tu couraillas Tu couraillas en vain. You sprinted in vain.
Il courailla Il courailla pour attraper le bus. He sprinted to catch the bus.
Elle courailla Elle courailla après son chien. She sprinted after her dog.
On courailla On courailla jusqu’à la gare. One sprinted to the train station.
Nous couraillâmes Nous couraillâmes pendant des heures. We sprinted for hours.
Vous couraillâtes Vous couraillâtes jusqu’à l’arrivée. You sprinted to the finish.
Ils couraillèrent Ils couraillèrent dans tous les sens. They sprinted in all directions.
Elles couraillèrent Elles couraillèrent vers le ballon. They (feminine) sprinted towards the ball.

Other Conjugations for Courailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the courailler Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply