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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cravater

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The English translation of the French verb “cravater” is “to tie a tie.” The infinitive form “cravater” is pronounced as “kra-va-te.”

The verb “cravater” derives from the noun “cravate,” which means “tie.” The word “cravate” itself comes from the Croatian word “hrvát,” which means “Croatian.” The Croatian mercenaries who served in France during the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century wore a type of scarf around their necks, which later became known as a “cravate.” Over time, the word “cravate” evolved to refer specifically to a necktie.

In everyday French, the passé simple (simple past) tense is rarely used in spoken language and is mainly found in written literature. However, here are three examples of the verb “cravater” in the passé simple tense:

  1. Il cravata sa cravate avec élégance. (He tied his tie with elegance.)
  2. Elle cravata la cravate bleue de son père. (She tied her father’s blue tie.)
  3. Ils cravatèrent leurs cravates avant le mariage. (They tied their ties before the wedding.)

English translations:

  1. He tied his tie with elegance.
  2. She tied her father’s blue tie.
  3. They tied their ties before the wedding.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cravatai Je cravatai ma cravate. I tied my tie.
Tu cravatas Tu cravatas sa cravate. You tied his tie.
Il cravata Il cravata sa cravate. He tied his tie.
Elle cravata Elle cravata sa cravate. She tied her tie.
On cravata On cravata sa cravate. One tied one’s tie.
Nous cravatâmes Nous cravatâmes nos cravates. We tied our ties.
Vous cravatâtes Vous cravatâtes votre cravate. You tied your tie.
Ils cravatèrent Ils cravatèrent leur cravate. They tied their ties.
Elles cravatèrent Elles cravatèrent leur cravate. They (feminine) tied their ties.

Other Conjugations for Cravater.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cravater

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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