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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bavasser

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The English translation of the French verb bavasser is “to chat” or “to gossip.” The infinitive form is pronounced as [ba.va.se].

The word bavasser comes from the Old French word “bavache,” which means idle talk or gossip. It is derived from the verb “baver,” which means to drool or slobber. The usage of bavasser in everyday French can vary, but it is typically used to refer to casual or light conversation, often with a connotation of gossiping or chatting aimlessly.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary or formal past tense in French, bavasser is conjugated as follows:

  • Je bavassai (I chatted / gossiped)
  • Tu bavassas (You chatted / gossiped)
  • Il/Elle/On bavassa (He/She/One chatted / gossiped)

Here are three simple examples of bavasser in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Hier, nous bavassâmes pendant des heures au café.
    (Yesterday, we chatted for hours at the café.)

  2. Tu bavassas avec tes amis lors de la fête hier soir.
    (You chatted with your friends during the party last night.)

  3. Elle bavassa avec sa voisine à la fenêtre.
    (She chatted with her neighbor at the window.)

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

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bavassai Je bavassai avec mes amis. I chatted with my friends.
Tu bavassas Tu bavassas tout le temps. You chatted all the time.
Il bavassa Il bavassa avec sa voisine. He chatted with his neighbor.
Elle bavassa Elle bavassa toute la journée. She chatted all day.
On bavassa On bavassa dans le parc. One chatted in the park.
Nous bavassâmes Nous bavassâmes en classe. We chatted in class.
Vous bavassâtes Vous bavassâtes pendant le repas. You chatted during the meal.
Ils bavassèrent Ils bavassèrent à la réunion. They chatted at the meeting.
Elles bavassèrent Elles bavassèrent dans la cour. They (feminine) chatted in the courtyard.

Other Conjugations for Bavasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bavasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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