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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuivrer

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The English translation of the French verb “cuivrer” is “to copper.” The infinitive form “cuivrer” is pronounced as “kwee-vreh.”

The verb “cuivrer” comes from the noun “cuivre,” which means “copper” in English. It is derived from the Latin word “cuprum.” In everyday French, the verb “cuivrer” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in formal writing or storytelling.

Three simple examples of the verb “cuivrer” in the Passé Simple tense are:

  1. J’assortis les casseroles en les cuivrant.
    (I matched the saucepans by coppering them.)

  2. Il cuivra tous les ustensiles de cuisine.
    (He coppered all the kitchen utensils.)

  3. Les artisans cuivrèrent les toitures des bâtiments.
    (The craftsmen coppered the roofs of the buildings.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been largely replaced by the Passé Composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je cuivrai J’ai cuivré le pot. I coppered the pot.
Tu cuivras Tu cuivras la casserole. You coppered the saucepan.
Il cuivra Il cuivra la pièce. He coppered the part.
Elle cuivra Elle cuivra la surface. She coppered the surface.
On cuivra On cuivra le métal. One coppered the metal.
Nous cuivrâmes Nous cuivrâmes les ustensiles. We coppered the utensils.
Vous cuivrâtes Vous cuivrâtes la poêle. You coppered the frying pan.
Ils cuivrèrent Ils cuivrèrent le bol. They coppered the bowl.
Elles cuivrèrent Elles cuivrèrent le moule. They (feminine) coppered the mold.

Other Conjugations for Cuivrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuivrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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