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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gigoter

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The English translation of the French verb “gigoter” is “to wriggle” or “to fidget.” The infinitive form “gigoter” is pronounced as “zhee-goh-tay.”

The verb “gigoter” has its origin in the French word “gigue,” which means “leg” or “long narrow braid.” It derives from the Old High German word “geiga,” which means “violin.” “Gigoter” is often used in everyday French to describe a restless or fidgety movement, typically involving small, rapid motions.

Examples of the usage of “gigoter” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Hier soir, il gigota pendant tout le film.
    Translation: Last night, he wriggled throughout the entire movie.

  2. Elle gigota sur sa chaise pendant la réunion.
    Translation: She fidgeted on her chair during the meeting.

  3. Les enfants gigotèrent d’impatience en attendant le spectacle.
    Translation: The children wriggled with impatience while waiting for the show.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gigotai Je gigotai sur place. I fidgeted in place.
Tu gigotas Tu gigotas tout le temps. You fidgeted all the time.
Il gigota Il gigota de nervosité. He fidgeted nervously.
Elle gigota Elle gigota pendant la réunion. She fidgeted during the meeting.
On gigota On gigota devant les caméras. One fidgeted in front of the cameras.
Nous gigotâmes Nous gigotâmes de joie. We fidgeted with joy.
Vous gigotâtes Vous gigotâtes sur votre chaise. You fidgeted in your chair.
Ils gigotèrent Ils gigotèrent sur la piste de danse. They fidgeted on the dance floor.
Elles gigotèrent Elles gigotèrent d’impatience. They (feminine) fidgeted with impatience.

Other Conjugations for Gigoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gigoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gigoter – 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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