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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb batifoler

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The English translation of the French verb “batifoler” is “to frolic” or “to romp”. It is pronounced as “bah-tee-foh-lay” in its infinitive form.

The word “batifoler” originated from the old French word “battre” which means “to beat” and “fol” which means “leaf”. It was initially used to describe the playful behavior of animals jumping and running through leaves. In everyday French, “batifoler” is commonly used to describe playful and carefree activities, similar to frolicking or romping.

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

  1. Les enfants batifolèrent dans le parc toute l’après-midi.
    (English: The children frolicked in the park all afternoon.)

  2. Les chiens batifolèrent joyeusement dans le jardin.
    (English: The dogs romped happily in the garden.)

  3. Les danseurs batifolèrent sur scène pendant le spectacle.
    (English: The dancers frolicked on stage during the show.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je batifolai Je batifolai dans le jardin. I frolicked in the garden.
Tu batifolas Tu batifolas toute la journée. You frolicked all day.
Il batifola Il batifola avec les enfants. He frolicked with the children.
Elle batifola Elle batifola dans la mer. She frolicked in the sea.
On batifola On batifola dans la forêt. One frolicked in the forest.
Nous batifolâmes Nous batifolâmes dans le parc. We frolicked in the park.
Vous batifolâtes Vous batifolâtes dans la neige. You frolicked in the snow.
Ils batifolèrent Ils batifolèrent dans le champ. They frolicked in the field.
Elles batifolèrent Elles batifolèrent dans la prairie. They (feminine) frolicked in the meadow.

Other Conjugations for Batifoler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb batifoler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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