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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gaffer

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The English translation of the French verb “gaffer” is “to tape” or “to stick.” The infinitive form of “gaffer” is pronounced as [ɡa.fe].

The word “gaffer” comes from the Old French word “gaf,” meaning “hook” or “clasp.” It evolved over time to refer to the act of attaching or sticking something together. In everyday French, “gaffer” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions, particularly in spoken language and informal contexts.

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

  1. Hier, je gaffai les photos dans mon album.
    (Yesterday, I taped the pictures in my album.)

  2. Nous gaffâmes les affiches sur les murs de la salle.
    (We stuck the posters on the walls of the room.)

  3. Les enfants gaffèrent leurs dessins sur le tableau.
    (The children taped their drawings on the board.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gaffai Je gaffai le câble. I taped the cable.
Tu gaffas Tu gaffas les fils électriques. You taped the electrical wires.
Il gaffa Il gaffa la bouche. He taped his mouth.
Elle gaffa Elle gaffa la boîte. She taped the box.
On gaffa On gaffa les affiches. One taped the posters.
Nous gaffâmes Nous gaffâmes les câbles. We taped the cables.
Vous gaffâtes Vous gaffâtes les joints. You taped the joints.
Ils gaffèrent Ils gaffèrent les câbles. They taped the cables.
Elles gaffèrent Elles gaffèrent les fenêtres. They (feminine) taped the windows.

Other Conjugations for Gaffer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gaffer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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