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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baigner

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The English translation of the French verb “baigner” is “to bathe” or “to swim.” The infinitive form of “baigner” is pronounced as [beɲe].

The verb “baigner” originates from the Latin word “balneare,” meaning “to bathe.” It is commonly used in everyday French to indicate actions related to bathing or swimming. In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), which is mostly used in written French to narrate past events, the verb “baigner” conjugates as follows:

  1. Je baignai – I bathed/swam
  2. Tu baignas – You bathed/swam
  3. Il/Elle baigna – He/She bathed/swam

Examples of “baigner” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Hier, je baignai dans la mer. – Yesterday, I swam in the sea.
  2. Tu baignas le bébé dans la baignoire. – You bathed the baby in the bathtub.
  3. Elle baigna pendant des heures dans la piscine. – She swam for hours in the pool.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je baignai Je baignai dans la mer. I bathed in the sea.
Tu baignas Tu baignas le bébé. You bathed the baby.
Il baigna Il baigna dans la rivière. He bathed in the river.
Elle baigna Elle baigna les vêtements. She bathed the clothes.
On baigna On baigna dans la piscine. One bathed in the pool.
Nous baignâmes Nous baignâmes le chien. We bathed the dog.
Vous baignâtes Vous baignâtes dans le lac. You bathed in the lake.
Ils baignèrent Ils baignèrent les enfants. They bathed the children.
Elles baignèrent Elles baignèrent les plantes. They (feminine) bathed the plants.

Other Conjugations for Baigner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baigner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Baigner – 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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