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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bâcher

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The English translation of the French verb “bâcher” is “to cover.” The infinitive form “bâcher” is pronounced as “bah-shay.”

“Bâcher” has its origin in the Latin word “bacca” meaning “bark” or “covering.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is mainly found in written French, historical contexts, or literature.

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

  1. Nous bâchâmes la voiture avant la tempête.
    (We covered the car before the storm.)

  2. Il bâcha les meubles avec des draps pour les protéger.
    (He covered the furniture with sheets to protect them.)

  3. Elle bâcha la pile de livres avec une toile imperméable.
    (She covered the stack of books with a waterproof cloth.)

In these examples, “bâcher” is used to indicate the action of covering or protecting something with a material or covering.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bâchai Je bâchai le bois. I covered the wood.
Tu bâchas Tu bâchas la table. You covered the table.
Il bâcha Il bâcha la voiture. He covered the car.
Elle bâcha Elle bâcha sa tête. She covered her head.
On bâcha On bâcha la piscine. One covered the pool.
Nous bâchâmes Nous bâchâmes les meubles. We covered the furniture.
Vous bâchâtes Vous bâchâtes le toit. You covered the roof.
Ils bâchèrent Ils bâchèrent le sol. They covered the ground.
Elles bâchèrent Elles bâchèrent les plantes. They (feminine) covered the plants.

Other Conjugations for Bâcher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bâcher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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