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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gondoler

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The English translation of the French verb “gondoler” is “to warp” or “to undulate.” The infinitive form “gondoler” is pronounced as “gon-do-leh.”

The verb “gondoler” comes from the noun “gondole,” which means “gondola” in English. It is derived from the Italian word “gondola,” which refers to the traditional Venetian rowing boat. In everyday French, the verb “gondoler” is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe the action of something warping or undulating.

Examples of “gondoler” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Les planches du vieux pont gondolèrent sous l’effet de la chaleur.
    (The planks of the old bridge warped due to the heat.)

  2. Le tissu a gondolé après avoir été lavé à la mauvaise température.
    (The fabric warped after being washed at the wrong temperature.)

  3. Les vinyles laissés sous le soleil ont gondolé et ne sont plus utilisables.
    (The vinyl records left under the sun warped and are no longer usable.)

English translations:

  1. The planks of the old bridge warped due to the heat.
  2. The fabric warped after being washed at the wrong temperature.
  3. The vinyl records left under the sun warped and are no longer usable.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gondolai J’ai gondolé le papier. I warped the paper.
Tu gondolas Tu gondolas la planche. You warped the board.
Il gondola Il gondola le bois. He warped the wood.
Elle gondola Elle gondola la feuille. She warped the sheet.
On gondola On gondola le matériau. One warped the material.
Nous gondolâmes Nous gondolâmes le tissu. We warped the fabric.
Vous gondolâtes Vous gondolâtes le métal. You warped the metal.
Ils gondolèrent Ils gondolèrent la carte. They warped the card.
Elles gondolèrent Elles gondolèrent le plastique. They (feminine) warped the plastic.

Other Conjugations for Gondoler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gondoler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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