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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bedonner

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The English translation of the French verb bedonner is “to give a bellyache” or “to cause stomachache.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “be-doh-neh.”

The word “bedonner” is derived from the noun “bedon,” which means “belly” or “stomach” in French. It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used mainly in written French, particularly in storytelling.

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

  1. Il bedonna après avoir mangé tous les bonbons. (He got a bellyache after eating all the candies.)
  2. Les frites trop grasses lui bedonnèrent. (The greasy fries gave him a stomachache.)
  3. Les plats épicés nous bedonnèrent pendant toute la soirée. (The spicy dishes gave us stomachaches all evening.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French. In everyday conversations, the passé composé or other compound tenses are more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bedonnai J’ai bedonnai après le repas. I had a big belly after the meal.
Tu bedonnas Tu bedonnas à force de manger. You had a big belly from eating too much.
Il bedonna Il bedonna après avoir bu. He had a big belly after drinking.
Elle bedonna Elle bedonna à cause du gâteau. She had a big belly because of the cake.
On bedonna On bedonna à force de se goinfrer. One had a big belly from overeating.
Nous bedonnâmes Nous bedonnâmes après le dîner. We had a big belly after dinner.
Vous bedonnâtes Vous bedonnâtes à cause du dessert. You had a big belly because of the dessert.
Ils bedonnèrent Ils bedonnèrent après le buffet. They had a big belly after the buffet.
Elles bedonnèrent Elles bedonnèrent à force de grignoter. They (feminine) had a big belly from snacking.

Other Conjugations for Bedonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bedonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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