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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb becqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “becqueter” is “to peck” or “to eat.” The infinitive form “becqueter” is pronounced as [bek-tuh-tey].

“Becqueter” is derived from the noun “bec” (beak) and the suffix “-eter” (indicating a repeated action). It is an informal and colloquial verb that is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of eating, especially in an animalistic or voracious manner.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “becqueter” is less commonly used in everyday spoken French, as it is mainly employed in formal writing or literature. Here are three examples of “becqueter” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Les oiseaux becquetèrent les graines tombées par terre.
    (The birds pecked at the seeds fallen on the ground.)

  2. Les enfants becquetèrent les bonbons avec enthousiasme.
    (The children gobbled up the candies enthusiastically.)

  3. Les touristes affamés becquetèrent les plats locaux dans le restaurant.
    (The hungry tourists feasted on the local dishes in the restaurant.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly reserved for formal writing and literature in contemporary French. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je becquetai Je becquetai mon repas. I ate my meal.
Tu becquetas Tu becquetas les restes. You ate the leftovers.
Il becqueta Il becqueta la nourriture. He ate the food.
Elle becqueta Elle becqueta les graines. She ate the seeds.
On becqueta On becqueta le pain. One ate the bread.
Nous becquêtâmes Nous becquêtâmes les plats. We ate the dishes.
Vous becquêtâtes Vous becquêtâtes le dessert. You ate the dessert.
Ils becquetèrent Ils becquetèrent le repas. They ate the meal.
Elles becquetèrent Elles becquetèrent les noix. They (feminine) ate the nuts.

Other Conjugations for Becqueter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb becqueter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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