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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cravacher

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The English translation of the French verb “cravacher” is “to whip” or “to crack the whip”. The infinitive form “cravacher” is pronounced as [kʁavaʃe].

The verb “cravacher” originates from the noun “cravache”, meaning “riding crop”. It is derived from the word “cravate” (tie), which was originally a term used for a necktie, but later evolved to refer to various decorative accessories. In everyday French, “cravacher” is often used figuratively to express the idea of putting in extra effort or pushing oneself to achieve or perform better.

In the Passé Simple tense, “cravacher” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je cravachai (I whipped/I cracked the whip)
  • Tu cravachas (You whipped/You cracked the whip)
  • Il/Elle cravacha (He/She/It whipped/He/She/It cracked the whip)
  • Nous cravachâmes (We whipped/We cracked the whip)
  • Vous cravachâtes (You whipped/You cracked the whip)
  • Ils/Elles cravachèrent (They whipped/They cracked the whip)

Here are three examples of “cravacher” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’ai cravaché pour finir ce projet à temps.
    (I whipped myself to finish this project on time.)

  2. Tu cravachas toute la nuit pour réviser tes examens.
    (You whipped yourself all night to study for your exams.)

  3. Elle cravacha durant des heures pour préparer le dîner de fête.
    (She whipped herself for hours to prepare the feast dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je crachai Je crachai au visage de mon ennemi. I spat in the face of my enemy.
Tu crachas Tu crachas tes insultes. You spat your insults.
Il cracha Il cracha son mépris. He spat his contempt.
Elle cracha Elle cracha son venin. She spat her venom.
On cracha On cracha sur la tombe. One spat on the grave.
Nous crachâmes Nous crachâmes nos frustrations. We spat out our frustrations.
Vous crachâtes Vous crachâtes vos secrets. You spat out your secrets.
Ils crachèrent Ils crachèrent leurs mensonges. They spat out their lies.
Elles crachèrent Elles crachèrent leur dégoût. They (feminine) spat out their disgust.

Other Conjugations for Cravacher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cravacher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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