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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb criticailler

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The English translation of the French verb “criticailler” is “to criticize” or “to nitpick.” The infinitive form “criticailler” is pronounced as /kʁi.ti.ka.je/.

The word “criticailler” is derived from the French word “critique” meaning “to criticize.” It is an informal verb mainly used in spoken language to describe the act of excessively or unfairly criticizing someone or something.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “criticailler” is not frequently used in everyday French as it is considered more of a colloquial verb. However, here are three examples of its usage in this tense and their English translations:

  1. Il criticailla ses collègues à chaque petite erreur.
    (He nitpicked his colleagues for every small mistake.)
  2. Elle criticailla sans cesse son mari sur sa tenue vestimentaire.
    (She constantly criticized her husband about his clothing.)
  3. Les journalistes criticaillèrent sévèrement le nouveau film.
    (The journalists heavily criticized the new movie.)

Please note that the use of the Passé Simple tense is not very common in spoken French and is mainly reserved for formal writing, literature, or historical contexts. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is generally used to express actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je criticaillai Je criticaillai ses choix. I criticized his choices.
Tu criticaillas Tu criticaillas sa décision. You criticized his decision.
Il criticailla Il criticailla son travail. He criticized his work.
Elle criticailla Elle criticailla ses idées. She criticized his ideas.
On criticailla On criticailla leurs actions. One criticized their actions.
Nous criticaillâmes Nous criticaillâmes leur comportement. We criticized their behavior.
Vous criticaillâtes Vous criticaillâtes leur attitude. You criticized their attitude.
Ils criticaillèrent Ils criticaillèrent ses performances. They criticized his performances.
Elles criticaillèrent Elles criticaillèrent ses choix. They (feminine) criticized his choices.

Other Conjugations for Criticailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb criticailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Criticailler – 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.

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