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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bichoter

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The English translation of the French verb “bichoter” is “to fuss over” or “to pamper”.

The infinitive form “bichoter” is pronounced as “bee-sho-tay”.

The word “bichoter” has its roots in the French noun “biche”, which means “doe” or “female deer”. It is derived from the Old French word “bise”, meaning “kiss”. The verb “bichoter” was coined in the 19th century and originally meant “to kiss someone repeatedly”.

In everyday French, the verb “bichoter” is most often used in the passé simple (simple past) tense in literature or formal writing rather than in spoken language. The passé simple is a literary tense used to describe completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “bichoter” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle bichota ses enfants toute la journée. (She fussed over her children all day.)
  2. Le chef bichota les invités pendant le dîner. (The chef pampered the guests during the dinner.)
  3. Les parents bichotèrent leur enfant malade jusqu’à ce qu’il se rétablisse. (The parents fussed over their sick child until he recovered.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bichotai J’ai bichotai ton cadeau. I pampered your gift.
Tu bichotas Tu bichotas ton chien. You pampered your dog.
Il bichota Il bichota son chat. He pampered his cat.
Elle bichota Elle bichota sa plante. She pampered her plant.
On bichota On bichota le bébé. One pampered the baby.
Nous bichotâmes Nous bichotâmes les animaux. We pampered the animals.
Vous bichotâtes Vous bichotâtes vos enfants. You pampered your children.
Ils bichotèrent Ils bichotèrent leurs chevaux. They pampered their horses.
Elles bichotèrent Elles bichotèrent leurs cheveux. They (feminine) pampered their hair.

Other Conjugations for Bichoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bichoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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