Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Introduction to the verb couver
The English translation of the French verb “couver” is “to brood” or “to incubate”. The infinitive form “couver” is pronounced as “koo-vay”.
The word “couver” has its language origin in Latin, derived from the word “cubare” meaning “to lie down”. In everyday French, “couver” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary and formal past tense used primarily in written French.
Here are three examples of “couver” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:
- Elle couva les œufs pendant deux semaines. (She brooded the eggs for two weeks.)
- Le couple couva son enfant avec amour. (The couple brooded their child with love.)
- Le soleil couva la terre de ses rayons ardents. (The sun brooded the earth with its scorching rays.)
Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in literature or formal writing.
Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of couver
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
Je | couvai | Je couvai les œufs. | I brooded over the eggs. |
Tu | couvas | Tu couvas le nid. | You brooded over the nest. |
Il | couva | Il couva les poussins. | He brooded over the chicks. |
Elle | couva | Elle couva les œufs. | She brooded over the eggs. |
On | couva | On couva les oisillons. | One brooded over the fledglings. |
Nous | couvâmes | Nous couvâmes les œufs. | We brooded over the eggs. |
Vous | couvâtes | Vous couvâtes le nid. | You brooded over the nest. |
Ils | couvèrent | Ils couvèrent les poussins. | They brooded over the chicks. |
Elles | couvèrent | Elles couvèrent les œufs. | They (feminine) brooded over the eggs. |
Other Conjugations for Couver.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
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Couver – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense
Formation
Usage
Narration
Historical Context
Interactions with other tenses
Passé Composé
Imparfait
Conditional and Subjunctive
Summary
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