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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb guigner

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The English translation of the French verb “guigner” is “to eye” or “to glance at.” The infinitive form “guigner” is pronounced as [ɡiɲe].

The word “guigner” comes from the Old French word “guignier,” which means “to squint” or “to look sideways.” It originated from the Latin word “vicinus,” meaning “neighbor.” In everyday French, “guigner” is often used in the Passé Simple tense to describe a quick look or a side glance.

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

  1. Elle guigna par la fenêtre pour voir si quelqu’un arrivait. (She glanced out the window to see if someone was coming.)
  2. Le chat guigna avec curiosité le mouvement dans le jardin. (The cat eyed the movement in the garden with curiosity.)
  3. Ils guignèrent discrètement le cadeau d’anniversaire avant de le donner. (They sneakily eyed the birthday present before giving it.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or storytelling. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je guignai Je guignai par la fenêtre. I peeked through the window.
Tu guignas Tu guignas le cadeau. You peeked at the gift.
Il guigna Il guigna les cartes. He peeked at the cards.
Elle guigna Elle guigna le gâteau. She peeked at the cake.
On guigna On guigna le spectacle. One peeked at the show.
Nous guignâmes Nous guignâmes le secret. We peeked at the secret.
Vous guignâtes Vous guignâtes la conversation. You peeked at the conversation.
Ils guignèrent Ils guignèrent par la porte. They peeked through the door.
Elles guignèrent Elles guignèrent la surprise. They (feminine) peeked at the surprise.

Other Conjugations for Guigner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb guigner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Guigner – 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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