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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb babiller

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The English translation of the French verb “babiller” is “to babble” or “to chatter.” The infinitive form “babiller” is pronounced as [ba-bee-yay].

The word “babiller” has its origin in the Late Latin word “babulus,” which means “baby” or “infant.” In everyday French, “babiller” is commonly used to describe the action of talking or making incoherent sounds, often associated with babies or young children. It can also be used figuratively to describe someone who talks a lot or talks without making much sense.

In the Passé Simple tense, “babiller” is used in literary or formal contexts to describe past actions that are completed and isolated in the past. Here are three simple examples of “babiller” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Elle babilla toute la journée à la garderie.
    (She babbled all day at daycare.)
  2. Les enfants babillèrent pendant le spectacle.
    (The children babbled during the show.)
  3. Il babilla sans interruption durant la réunion.
    (He babbled non-stop during the meeting.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in literature or formal writing. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé or Imparfait tense would be more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je babillai J’ai babillé toute la journée. I chattered all day.
Tu babillas Tu babillas avec ton amie. You chattered with your friend.
Il babilla Il babilla sans arrêt. He chattered non-stop.
Elle babilla Elle babilla pendant des heures. She chattered for hours.
On babilla On babilla joyeusement. One chattered happily.
Nous babillâmes Nous babillâmes pendant le repas. We chattered during the meal.
Vous babillâtes Vous babillâtes toute la soirée. You chattered all evening.
Ils babillèrent Ils babillèrent en classe. They chattered in class.
Elles babillèrent Elles babillèrent au téléphone. They (feminine) chattered on the phone.

Other Conjugations for Babiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb babiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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