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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entrecroiser

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The English translation of the French verb entrecroiser is “to interweave” or “to cross over”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-truh-kwah-zay”.

The verb entrecroiser comes from the combination of the preposition “entre” meaning “between” or “among” and the verb “croiser” meaning “to cross”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used in formal writing or storytelling.

Here are three simple examples of entrecroiser in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Les chemins se sont entrecroisés dans la forêt. (The paths interwove in the forest.)
  2. Les fils d’argent et d’or s’entrecroisèrent pour former un motif complexe. (The silver and gold threads interwove to form a complex pattern.)
  3. Les destins des personnages se sont entrecroisés à plusieurs reprises dans le roman. (The fates of the characters crossed over multiple times in the novel.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je entrecroisai J’entrecroisai mes doigts. I interlaced my fingers.
Tu entrecroisas Tu entrecroisas les fils. You interlaced the threads.
Il entrecroisa Il entrecroisa les branches. He interlaced the branches.
Elle entrecroisa Elle entrecroisa les rubans. She interlaced the ribbons.
On entrecroisa On entrecroisa les cordes. One interlaced the ropes.
Nous entrecroisâmes Nous entrecroisâmes nos regards. We interlaced our gazes.
Vous entrecroisâtes Vous entrecroisâtes les chemins. You interlaced the paths.
Ils entrecroisèrent Ils entrecroisèrent les fils électriques. They interlaced the electrical wires.
Elles entrecroisèrent Elles entrecroisèrent les branches. They (feminine) interlaced the branches.

Other Conjugations for Entrecroiser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entrecroiser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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