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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb batailler

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The English translation of the French verb “batailler” is “to battle” or “to fight”. The infinitive form “batailler” is pronounced as [ba-ta-yay].

The word “batailler” originates from the Old French term “bataille” which means “battle”. It is derived from the Latin word “battuere” meaning “to beat” or “to strike”. In everyday French, batailler is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events, particularly in literature or formal writing.

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

  1. Les deux royaumes bataillèrent pendant des années.
    (The two kingdoms battled for years.)

  2. L’armée française batailla vaillamment et remporta la victoire.
    (The French army fought valiantly and won the victory.)

  3. Les résistants bataillèrent jusqu’à la libération de la ville.
    (The resistance fighters battled until the liberation of the city.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bataillai Je bataillai jusqu’au bout. I fought until the end.
Tu bataillas Tu bataillas avec courage. You fought with courage.
Il batailla Il batailla vaillamment. He fought bravely.
Elle batailla Elle batailla avec détermination. She fought with determination.
On batailla On batailla sans relâche. One fought tirelessly.
Nous bataillâmes Nous bataillâmes pour la victoire. We fought for victory.
Vous bataillâtes Vous bataillâtes jusqu’au bout. You fought until the end.
Ils bataillèrent Ils bataillèrent pour leur liberté. They fought for their freedom.
Elles bataillèrent Elles bataillèrent vaillamment. They (feminine) fought bravely.

Other Conjugations for Batailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb batailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Batailler – 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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