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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culotter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of culotter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “culotter” is “to cheek” or “to have the audacity”. The infinitive form “culotter” is pronounced as [koo-loh-teh].

The word “culotter” originates from the noun “culot,” which refers to the bottom or backside. In everyday French, “culotter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to express an action that occurred in the past with a sense of audacity or cheekiness.

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

  1. Il culotta en osant lui parler ainsi.
    (He cheeked by daring to speak to him like that.)

  2. Elle culotta en refusant de signer le contrat.
    (She had the audacity by refusing to sign the contract.)

  3. Ils culottèrent en critiquant ouvertement leurs supérieurs.
    (They cheeked by openly criticizing their superiors.)

In each of these examples, “culotter” is used in the Passé Simple tense to describe an action that was done audaciously or with a certain boldness.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je culottai J’ai culottai le pantalon. I finished the pants.
Tu culottas Tu culottas les chaises. You finished the chairs.
Il culotta Il culotta la casserole. He finished the pot.
Elle culotta Elle culotta les verres. She finished the glasses.
On culotta On culotta le tapis. One finished the carpet.
Nous culottâmes Nous culottâmes les assiettes. We finished the plates.
Vous culottâtes Vous culottâtes la robe. You finished the dress.
Ils culottèrent Ils culottèrent les tables. They finished the tables.
Elles culottèrent Elles culottèrent les serviettes. They (feminine) finished the napkins.

Other Conjugations for Culotter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culotter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the culotter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply