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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb doigter

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The English translation of the French verb “doigter” is “to finger.” The infinitive form of “doigter” is pronounced as “dwa-je-te.”

The verb “doigter” comes from the French word “doigt,” which means “finger.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of using one’s fingers for various purposes, such as pointing, touching, or manipulating objects. However, it is important to note that “doigter” can also have a vulgar connotation in certain contexts.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “doigter” is rarely used in everyday French as it is considered quite informal. The Passé Simple is mainly reserved for formal writing, literature, or historical contexts. Nevertheless, here are three examples of how “doigter” could be used in the Passé Simple:

  1. Il doigta les touches du piano avec précision. (He fingered the piano keys with precision.)
  2. Elle doigta le sable tout en observant les coquillages. (She fingered the sand while observing the seashells.)
  3. Ils doigtèrent les pages du vieux livre, cherchant des indices. (They fingered through the pages of the old book, searching for clues.)

Please note that the usage of “doigter” in the Passé Simple is quite rare in everyday French, and it is generally recommended to use alternative verbs or expressions to convey the intended meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je doigtai Je doigtai le livre. I fingered the book.
Tu doigtas Tu doigtas la poupée. You fingered the doll.
Il doigta Il doigta le tableau. He fingered the painting.
Elle doigta Elle doigta la guitare. She fingered the guitar.
On doigta On doigta la porte. One fingered the door.
Nous doigtâmes Nous doigtâmes la chaise. We fingered the chair.
Vous doigtâtes Vous doigtâtes la clé. You fingered the key.
Ils doigtèrent Ils doigtèrent le stylo. They fingered the pen.
Elles doigtèrent Elles doigtèrent la bague. They (feminine) fingered the ring.

Other Conjugations for Doigter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb doigter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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