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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb griffonner

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The English translation of the French verb “griffonner” is “to scribble” or “to scrawl.” The infinitive form “griffonner” is pronounced as [ɡʁi.fɔ.ne].

The word “griffonner” comes from the French noun “griffure,” meaning “scratch” or “claw mark.” It is derived from the Old High German word “kruzzōn,” which means “to scratch.” In everyday French, “griffonner” is commonly used to describe the action of quickly and carelessly drawing or writing something.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “griffonner” conjugates as follows:

  • Je griffonnai: I scribbled
  • Tu griffonnas: You scribbled
  • Il/elle/on griffonna: He/she/one scribbled

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

  1. Elle griffonna un message rapide sur un bout de papier. (She scribbled a quick message on a piece of paper.)
  2. Il griffonna quelques mots dans son carnet avant de partir. (He scribbled a few words in his notebook before leaving.)
  3. Nous griffonnâmes des idées sur le tableau blanc pendant la réunion. (We scribbled ideas on the whiteboard during the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je griffonnai J’ai griffonné un mot sur le papier. I scribbled a word on the paper.
Tu griffonnas Tu griffonnas un dessin rapide. You scribbled a quick drawing.
Il griffonna Il griffonna une note dans son cahier. He scribbled a note in his notebook.
Elle griffonna Elle griffonna un numéro de téléphone. She scribbled a phone number.
On griffonna On griffonna des idées sur un morceau de papier. One scribbled ideas on a piece of paper.
Nous griffonnâmes Nous griffonnâmes une liste de courses. We scribbled a shopping list.
Vous griffonnâtes Vous griffonnâtes une adresse sur une enveloppe. You scribbled an address on an envelope.
Ils griffonnèrent Ils griffonnèrent des notes pendant la réunion. They scribbled notes during the meeting.
Elles griffonnèrent Elles griffonnèrent un message sur un post-it. They (feminine) scribbled a message on a post-it.

Other Conjugations for Griffonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb griffonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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