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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biffer

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The English translation of the French verb “biffer” is “to cross out” or “to strike through.” The infinitive form, “biffer,” is pronounced as “bee-fay.”

The word “biffer” comes from the Middle French term “biffier,” which means “to hit” or “to strike.” It is primarily used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense to describe an action that occurred in the past and is now completed.

Here are three simple examples of “biffer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’écrivis une liste, puis je biffai les tâches accomplies.
    (I wrote a list, then I crossed out the completed tasks.)

  2. Elle biffa son nom de la liste des invités.
    (She crossed out her name from the guest list.)

  3. Les professeurs biffèrent les réponses incorrectes.
    (The teachers struck through the incorrect answers.)

These examples demonstrate different contexts in which “biffer” can be used, such as crossing out completed tasks, removing a name from a list, or striking through incorrect answers.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je biffai J’ai biffai le mot. I crossed out the word.
Tu biffas Tu biffas la phrase. You crossed out the sentence.
Il biffa Il biffa le nom. He crossed out the name.
Elle biffa Elle biffa le numéro. She crossed out the number.
On biffa On biffa l’idée. One crossed out the idea.
Nous biffâmes Nous biffâmes les fautes. We crossed out the mistakes.
Vous biffâtes Vous biffâtes la lettre. You crossed out the letter.
Ils biffèrent Ils biffèrent les mots. They crossed out the words.
Elles biffèrent Elles biffèrent les paragraphes. They (feminine) crossed out the paragraphs.

Other Conjugations for Biffer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biffer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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