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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb couronner

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The English translation of the French verb “couronner” is “to crown.” The infinitive form of “couronner” is pronounced as “koo-roh-ney.”

The word “couronner” has its origin in the Latin word “corona,” meaning “crown.” In everyday French, the verb “couronner” is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe completed actions in the past. However, it is worth mentioning that the Passé Simple is primarily used in formal writing and literature, and is less commonly used in spoken French.

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

  1. J’entrai dans la salle et je couronnai la reine.
    (I entered the room and crowned the queen.)

  2. Le roi couronna son fils comme prince héritier.
    (The king crowned his son as the heir apparent.)

  3. Les juges couronnèrent le meilleur poème de la compétition.
    (The judges crowned the best poem of the competition.)

Please note that while these sentences demonstrate the use of “couronner” in the Passé Simple tense, it is more common to use the compound past tense (Passé Composé) in spoken French to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je couronnai Je couronnai le vainqueur. I crowned the winner.
Tu couronnas Tu couronnas la reine. You crowned the queen.
Il couronna Il couronna le roi. He crowned the king.
Elle couronna Elle couronna la princesse. She crowned the princess.
On couronna On couronna le champion. One crowned the champion.
Nous couronnâmes Nous couronnâmes les gagnants. We crowned the winners.
Vous couronnâtes Vous couronnâtes le couple. You crowned the couple.
Ils couronnèrent Ils couronnèrent les héros. They crowned the heroes.
Elles couronnèrent Elles couronnèrent les artistes. They (feminine) crowned the artists.

Other Conjugations for Couronner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couronner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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