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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb basculer

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The English translation of the French verb “basculer” is “to tip/tilt” or “to switch/change”. The infinitive form “basculer” is pronounced as [ba-skyl-ey].

The word “basculer” comes from the Latin “bascule” meaning “seesaw” or “beam”. In everyday French, “basculer” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe sudden or significant changes, shifts, or transitions. It is used to express actions that occurred and ended in the past, particularly in written or formal French.

Examples of “basculer” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Le vent bascula et renversa la table.
    (The wind tipped and knocked over the table.)
  2. La situation bascula lorsque le président démissionna.
    (The situation changed when the president resigned.)
  3. Les résultats du match basculèrent en faveur de l’équipe visiteuse.
    (The match results shifted in favor of the visiting team.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in literature, historical writings, and formal contexts in contemporary French. In spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je basculai J’ai basculé mon verre. I tipped over my glass.
Tu basculas Tu basculas la chaise. You tipped over the chair.
Il bascula Il bascula le panier. He tipped over the basket.
Elle bascula Elle bascula le vase. She tipped over the vase.
On bascula On bascula la table. One tipped over the table.
Nous basculâmes Nous basculâmes le tonneau. We tipped over the barrel.
Vous basculâtes Vous basculâtes le seau. You tipped over the bucket.
Ils basculèrent Ils basculèrent le camion. They tipped over the truck.
Elles basculèrent Elles basculèrent le vélo. They (feminine) tipped over the bicycle.

Other Conjugations for Basculer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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