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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bêler

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The English translation of the French verb “bêler” is “to bleat.” The infinitive form, “bêler,” is pronounced as “be-lay.”

The word “bêler” comes from the Latin “balare,” which also means “to bleat.” It is a regular first-group verb in French, and in everyday French, it is primarily used to describe the sound made by sheep or goats. However, it can also be used metaphorically to describe human voices or sounds resembling a bleat.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “bêler” is less commonly used in everyday French, as this tense has a more literary or formal connotation. Here are three simple examples of “bêler” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Le troupeau bêla dans le pré. (The flock bleated in the meadow.)
  2. Les chèvres bêlèrent toute la nuit. (The goats bleated all night long.)
  3. Le bébé bêla de faim. (The baby bleated out of hunger.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly found in written literature, historical texts, or formal writing. In spoken French, the passé composé or imparfait tense is more commonly used to express actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bêlai Je bêlai dans la prairie. I bellowed in the meadow.
Tu bêlas Tu bêlas toute la journée. You bellowed all day.
Il bêla Il bêla sous la pluie. He bellowed in the rain.
Elle bêla Elle bêla de douleur. She bellowed in pain.
On bêla On bêla dans la montagne. One bellowed in the mountain.
Nous bêlâmes Nous bêlâmes de joie. We bellowed with joy.
Vous bêlâtes Vous bêlâtes de surprise. You bellowed in surprise.
Ils bêlèrent Ils bêlèrent dans le champ. They bellowed in the field.
Elles bêlèrent Elles bêlèrent toute la nuit. They (feminine) bellowed all night.

Other Conjugations for Bêler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bêler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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