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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb croiser

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The English translation of the French verb “croiser” is “to cross” or “to intersect.” The infinitive form “croiser” is pronounced as /kʁwaze/.

The verb “croiser” originates from the Latin word “cruciare,” meaning “to crucify.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is mainly found in written text or formal speech. The Passé Simple tense expresses completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “croiser” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je croisai mon ami dans la rue.
    (I crossed paths with my friend in the street.)
  2. Il croisa les bras et se mit à réfléchir.
    (He crossed his arms and started to think.)
  3. Nous croisâmes la frontière sans encombre.
    (We crossed the border without any problems.)

Note: In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to express actions in the past. The Passé Simple is mainly reserved for formal writing or literature.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je croisai J’ai croisé la rue. I crossed the street.
Tu croisas Tu croisas ton ami. You crossed paths with your friend.
Il croisa Il croisa les bras. He crossed his arms.
Elle croisa Elle croisa les doigts. She crossed her fingers.
On croisa On croisa les jambes. One crossed legs.
Nous croisâmes Nous croisâmes la rivière. We crossed the river.
Vous croisâtes Vous croisâtes les doigts. You crossed your fingers.
Ils croisèrent Ils croisèrent les regards. They crossed gazes.
Elles croisèrent Elles croisèrent les bras. They (feminine) crossed their arms.

Other Conjugations for Croiser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb croiser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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