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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baller

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The English translation of the French verb “baller” is “to dance” or “to ball” in the slang context. The infinitive form “baller” is pronounced as “bah-leh”.

The word “baller” in French comes from the English word “ball,” which originally referred to a formal dance or ballroom. Over time, it has acquired a broader meaning and is now used to describe any kind of dancing, including modern styles or freestyle dancing. In everyday French, “baller” is commonly used in its slang form to mean “to show off” or “to act cool” in a context related to success, wealth, or extravagance.

Here are three simple examples of using “baller” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. J’entrai dans la salle de danse et je ballai avec élégance. (I entered the dance hall and danced elegantly.)
  2. Il/Elle balla toute la nuit lors de la fête. (He/She danced all night at the party.)
  3. Nous ballâmes comme des professionnels lors du concours. (We danced like professionals during the competition.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal writing and literature, while in spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more common.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je ballai Je ballai la salle de bal. I swept the ballroom.
Tu ballas Tu ballas avec grâce. You danced gracefully.
Il balla Il balla toute la nuit. He danced all night.
Elle balla Elle balla avec élégance. She danced with elegance.
On balla On balla jusqu’au matin. One danced until morning.
Nous ballâmes Nous ballâmes en rythme. We danced in rhythm.
Vous ballâtes Vous ballâtes avec passion. You danced with passion.
Ils ballèrent Ils ballèrent en couple. They danced as a couple.
Elles ballèrent Elles ballèrent toute la soirée. They (feminine) danced all evening.

Other Conjugations for Baller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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