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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gongonner

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The English translation of the French verb “gongonner” is “to grumble” or “to moan.” The infinitive form of “gongonner” is pronounced as “gawn-gawn-ay.”

The word “gongonner” originated from the onomatopoeic sound “gongon” that represents a low and continuous grumbling noise. It is commonly used in everyday French to express dissatisfaction, annoyance, or discontent. In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “gongonner” is used less frequently in modern spoken language but primarily in written or formal contexts.

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

  1. Les employés gongonnèrent toute la journée à propos des nouvelles règles de l’entreprise.
    (The employees grumbled all day about the new company rules.)

  2. Le joueur de foot gongonna après avoir été expulsé du match.
    (The football player moaned after being expelled from the game.)

  3. Les étudiants gongonnèrent en silence pendant l’examen difficile.
    (The students quietly grumbled during the difficult exam.)

Please note that the use of the Passé Simple tense is rare in spoken French, and the more commonly used tense for expressing the past is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gongonnai J’ai gongonné toute la journée. I gongoned all day.
Tu gongonnas Tu gongonnas sans arrêt. You gongoned non-stop.
Il gongonna Il gongonna avec enthousiasme. He gongoned enthusiastically.
Elle gongonna Elle gongonna en jouant du piano. She gongoned while playing the piano.
On gongonna On gongonna pendant des heures. One gongoned for hours.
Nous gongonnâmes Nous gongonnâmes en chœur. We gongoned in chorus.
Vous gongonnâtes Vous gongonnâtes en harmonie. You gongoned in harmony.
Ils gongonnèrent Ils gongonnèrent toute la nuit. They gongoned all night.
Elles gongonnèrent Elles gongonnèrent avec joie. They (feminine) gongoned with joy.

Other Conjugations for Gongonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gongonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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