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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bander

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The English translation of the French verb “bander” is “to stiffen” or “to harden.” The infinitive form, “bander,” is pronounced as “bahn-deh” in French.

The verb “bander” originated from the Old French word “bendre” which meant “to bend” or “to curve.” Over time, its meaning evolved to refer to the action of hardening or stiffening, particularly in a sexual context. In everyday French, “bander” is commonly used as a slang verb to describe a man’s sexual arousal.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “bander” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je bandai (I stiffened/hardened)
  • Tu bandas (You stiffened/hardened)
  • Il/Elle banda (He/She stiffened/hardened)
  • Nous bandâmes (We stiffened/hardened)
  • Vous bandâtes (You stiffened/hardened)
  • Ils/Elles bandèrent (They stiffened/hardened)

Here are three simple examples of “bander” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je bandai mes muscles avant la compétition. (I stiffened my muscles before the competition.)
  2. Il banda les cordes de son arc. (He tightened the strings of his bow.)
  3. Nous bandâmes le tissu pour le rendre plus rigide. (We stiffened the fabric to make it more rigid.)

Please note that due to its sexual connotation, the verb “bander” is generally not used in formal or polite contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bandai Je bandai les cheveux. I tied up the hair.
Tu bandas Tu bandas tes chaussures. You tied up your shoes.
Il banda Il banda les yeux. He blindfolded himself.
Elle banda Elle banda la plaie. She bandaged the wound.
On banda On banda les mains. One tied up the hands.
Nous bandâmes Nous bandâmes la bannière. We tied up the banner.
Vous bandâtes Vous bandâtes les câbles. You tied up the cables.
Ils bandèrent Ils bandèrent les liens. They tied up the ropes.
Elles bandèrent Elles bandèrent les chevilles. They (feminine) tied up the ankles.

Other Conjugations for Bander.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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