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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuber

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The English translation of the French verb “cuber” is “to calculate” or “to cube.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kyoo-bey.”

The verb “cuber” originates from the Latin word “cubare,” meaning “to calculate.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense when narrating past events in a formal or literary context.

Here are three simple examples of “cuber” used in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Il cuba rapidement les chiffres avant de donner la réponse.
    English translation: He calculated the numbers quickly before giving the answer.

  2. Elle cuba les dimensions du terrain avant d’acheter les matériaux.
    English translation: She calculated the dimensions of the field before buying the materials.

  3. Nous cubâmes les volumes des boîtes pour l’expédition.
    English translation: We calculated the volumes of the boxes for shipping.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cubai Je cubai les légumes. I cubed the vegetables.
Tu cubas Tu cubas le fromage. You cubed the cheese.
Il cula Il cula le bois. He cubed the wood.
Elle cula Elle cula le tofu. She cubed the tofu.
On cula On cula les pommes. One cubed the apples.
Nous culâmes Nous culâmes les carottes. We cubed the carrots.
Vous culâtes Vous culâtes les oignons. You cubed the onions.
Ils culèrent Ils culèrent la viande. They cubed the meat.
Elles culèrent Elles culèrent le poisson. They (feminine) cubed the fish.

Other Conjugations for Cuber.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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