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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb béquiller

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The English translation of the French verb “béquiller” is “to walk with crutches.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “be-kee-yay.”

The term “béquiller” is derived from the noun “béquille,” which means “crutch” in English. In everyday French, the verb “béquiller” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense to refer to past actions that were completed and have no direct connection to the present. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in written French, particularly in literature and formal writing, and is less common in spoken French.

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

  1. Il béquilla jusqu’à la pharmacie pour acheter ses médicaments.
    (He walked with crutches to the pharmacy to buy his medication.)

  2. Elle béquilla dans la rue après sa chute.
    (She walked with crutches in the street after her fall.)

  3. Les joueurs de l’équipe béquillèrent sur le terrain lors du dernier match.
    (The players of the team walked with crutches on the field during the last game.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je béquillai Je béquillai la voiture. I propped up the car.
Tu béquillas Tu béquillas le vélo. You propped up the bike.
Il béquilla Il béquilla sa jambe. He propped up his leg.
Elle béquilla Elle béquilla le meuble. She propped up the furniture.
On béquilla On béquilla la porte. One propped up the door.
Nous béquillâmes Nous béquillâmes l’étagère. We propped up the shelf.
Vous béquillâtes Vous béquillâtes la table. You propped up the table.
Ils béquillèrent Ils béquillèrent le mur. They propped up the wall.
Elles béquillèrent Elles béquillèrent le bateau. They (feminine) propped up the boat.

Other Conjugations for Béquiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb béquiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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