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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balayer

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The English translation of the French verb “balayer” is “to sweep.” The infinitive form “balayer” is pronounced as “ba-le-yay.”

The verb “balayer” is derived from the Old French word “balaier,” which itself comes from the Latin word “baleare,” meaning “to sweep.” In everyday French, “balayer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used in written narratives.

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

  1. Je balayai la terrasse hier. (I swept the terrace yesterday.)
  2. Il balaya les feuilles mortes dans le jardin. (He swept the dead leaves in the garden.)
  3. Elle balaya rapidement le sol avant l’arrivée des invités. (She quickly swept the floor before the arrival of the guests.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je balayai J’ai balayé la chambre. I swept the room.
Tu balayas Tu as balayé la terrasse. You swept the terrace.
Il balaya Il a balayé la cour. He swept the yard.
Elle balaya Elle a balayé la cuisine. She swept the kitchen.
On balaya On a balayé le sol. One swept the floor.
Nous balayâmes Nous avons balayé le jardin. We swept the garden.
Vous balayâtes Vous avez balayé la rue. You swept the street.
Ils balayèrent Ils ont balayé le trottoir. They swept the sidewalk.
Elles balayèrent Elles ont balayé la salle. They (feminine) swept the hall.

Other Conjugations for Balayer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Balayer – 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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