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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb craqueler

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The English translation of the French verb “craqueler” is “to crackle” or “to craze” (in the context of pottery). The infinitive form “craqueler” is pronounced as kra-kluh-lay.

The word “craqueler” is derived from the French noun “craque,” which means crack, and the suffix “-eler,” which typically denotes a repetitive action. It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when describing past actions or events that are considered completed.

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

  1. La céramique craquela dès qu’elle fut exposée à la chaleur.
    (The ceramic crackled as soon as it was exposed to heat.)

  2. Les vieilles peintures craquelèrent au fil des années.
    (The old paintings cracked over the years.)

  3. Les murs craquelèrent à cause des vibrations du chantier voisin.
    (The walls cracked due to vibrations from the neighboring construction site.)

In these examples, “craqueler” is used to describe the action of cracking or crackling that occurred in the past. The Passé Simple tense is commonly used in formal writing or literature, whereas in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to describe past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je craquelai J’ai craquelé le vase. I cracked the vase.
Tu craquelas Tu craquelas sous la pression. You cracked under the pressure.
Il craquela Il craquela la glace. He cracked the ice.
Elle craquela Elle craquela la surface. She cracked the surface.
On craquela On craquela le mur. One cracked the wall.
Nous craquelâmes Nous craquelâmes la peinture. We cracked the paint.
Vous craquelâtes Vous craquelâtes le carrelage. You cracked the tiles.
Ils craquelèrent Ils craquelèrent la porcelaine. They cracked the porcelain.
Elles craquelèrent Elles craquelèrent le bois. They (feminine) cracked the wood.

Other Conjugations for Craqueler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb craqueler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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