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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culer

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The English translation of the French verb “culer” is “to move backward” or “to reverse.” The infinitive form “culer” is pronounced as [ky.le].

The origin of the verb “culer” comes from the Latin word “cubare” meaning “to lie down.” In everyday French, the verb “culer” is most often used in the compound tenses (such as passé composé) rather than the simple past tense (passé simple). However, in literature or formal writing, it may be used in the passé simple tense.

Here are three simple examples of “culer” in the passé simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Je culai dans la rue sombre. (I moved backward into the dark street.)
  2. Tu culas rapidement pour éviter la collision. (You reversed quickly to avoid the collision.)
  3. Il/Elle/On cula lentement pour stationner la voiture. (He/She/One moved backward slowly to park the car.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature or formal texts, and is less commonly used in spoken language or everyday conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je culai Je culai dans la piscine. I swam in the pool.
Tu culas Tu culas rapidement. You swam quickly.
Il cula Il cula avec élégance. He swam with elegance.
Elle cula Elle cula dans l’océan. She swam in the ocean.
On cula On cula toute la journée. One swam all day.
Nous culâmes Nous culâmes ensemble. We swam together.
Vous culâtes Vous culâtes dans la rivière. You swam in the river.
Ils culèrent Ils culèrent jusqu’à la berge. They swam to the shore.
Elles culèrent Elles culèrent en compétition. They (feminine) swam in competition.

Other Conjugations for Culer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Culer – 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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