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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baisser

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The English translation of the French verb “baisser” is “to lower” or “to decrease”. The infinitive form “baisser” is pronounced as “be-say”.

The verb “baisser” originates from the Old French word “baissier”, which comes from the Latin word “bassiare”, meaning “to make low”. In everyday French, “baisser” is commonly used to refer to physically lowering something or decreasing a quantity or intensity.

In the Passé Simple tense, “baisser” is used to describe completed actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je baissai les volets de la fenêtre. (I lowered the window shutters.)
  2. Il baissa le son de la musique. (He decreased the volume of the music.)
  3. Nous baissâmes les prix pour attirer plus de clients. (We lowered the prices to attract more customers.)

It is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken French, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je baissai Je baissai la musique. I lowered the music.
Tu baissas Tu baissas la tête. You lowered your head.
Il baissa Il baissa les bras. He lowered his arms.
Elle baissa Elle baissa les yeux. She lowered her eyes.
On baissa On baissa le volume. One lowered the volume.
Nous baissâmes Nous baissâmes les prix. We lowered the prices.
Vous baissâtes Vous baissâtes la vitre. You lowered the window.
Ils baissèrent Ils baissèrent les armes. They lowered their weapons.
Elles baissèrent Elles baissèrent la tête. They (feminine) lowered their heads.

Other Conjugations for Baisser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baisser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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