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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balader

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The English translation of the French verb “balader” is “to stroll” or “to take a walk.” The infinitive form “balader” is pronounced as “bah-lah-day.”

The verb “balader” originates from the Old French word “ballader,” which means “to dance.” Over time, its meaning shifted to walking or strolling. In everyday French, “balader” is commonly used in the present tense to describe the action of taking a relaxed walk or wandering without a particular destination.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “balader” is less commonly used in everyday speech as it is a literary form. However, it can still appear in written texts, literature, or formal contexts. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je me baladai dans les rues animées de Paris.
    (I strolled through the lively streets of Paris.)

  2. Il/Elle balada son chien dans le parc.
    (He/She took a walk with his/her dog in the park.)

  3. Nous nous baladâmes le long de la plage, main dans la main.
    (We strolled along the beach, hand in hand.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal writing or storytelling contexts and is less frequently used in spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je baladai Je baladai mon chien. I took my dog for a walk.
Tu baladas Tu baladas dans la rue. You took a stroll in the street.
Il balada Il balada en ville. He took a walk in the city.
Elle balada Elle balada dans le parc. She took a walk in the park.
On balada On balada sur la plage. One took a walk on the beach.
Nous baladâmes Nous baladâmes en montagne. We took a walk in the mountains.
Vous baladâtes Vous baladâtes en forêt. You took a walk in the forest.
Ils baladèrent Ils baladèrent en vélo. They went for a bike ride.
Elles baladèrent Elles baladèrent en bateau. They (feminine) went for a boat ride.

Other Conjugations for Balader.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balader

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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