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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb badauder

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The English translation of the French verb “badauder” is “to loiter” or “to gawk”. The infinitive form “badauder” is pronounced as “bah-doh-deh”.

The word “badauder” originates from the Old French word “badal”, which means “stupid” or “foolish”. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of lingering or loitering in a place without any specific purpose, often with a sense of curiosity or astonishment.

Examples of “badauder” in the Passé Simple tense, with their English translations, are as follows:

  1. Les passants badaudèrent devant la vitrine du magasin.
    (The passers-by lingered in front of the shop window.)

  2. Les touristes badaudèrent autour du monument historique.
    (The tourists loitered around the historical monument.)

  3. Les enfants badaudèrent devant le cirque.
    (The children gawked at the circus.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is less commonly used in everyday spoken French and is mostly found in written literature or formal contexts. In contemporary spoken French, the Passé Composé or Imparfait tenses are more frequently used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je badaudai Je badaudai dans la rue. I loitered in the street.
Tu badaudas Tu badaudas devant la vitrine. You loitered in front of the shop window.
Il badauda Il badauda sans but précis. He loitered aimlessly.
Elle badauda Elle badauda dans le parc. She loitered in the park.
On badauda On badauda dans le quartier. One loitered in the neighborhood.
Nous badaudâmes Nous badaudâmes sur la place. We loitered in the square.
Vous badaudâtes Vous badaudâtes le long du fleuve. You loitered along the river.
Ils badaudèrent Ils badaudèrent devant le monument. They loitered in front of the monument.
Elles badaudèrent Elles badaudèrent dans le musée. They (feminine) loitered in the museum.

Other Conjugations for Badauder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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