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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bigarrer

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The English translation of the French verb “bigarrer” is “to variegate” or “to dapple.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bigarrer” is [bee-ga-ray].

The verb “bigarrer” comes from the Old French word “bigarrer” and is derived from the Old Frankish word “bi-” meaning “two” and “garro” meaning “color.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), which is a literary tense used in written French to describe past actions.

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

  1. Elle bigarra le mur de différentes couleurs.
    (She variegated the wall with different colors.)

  2. Ils bigarrèrent leurs vêtements pour le spectacle.
    (They variegated their clothes for the show.)

  3. Le peintre bigarra le paysage avec des touches de vert et de rouge.
    (The painter variegated the landscape with touches of green and red.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language and is mostly found in formal writing and literature.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bigarrai Je bigarrai le tissu. I mottled the fabric.
Tu bigarras Tu bigarras la peinture. You mottled the paint.
Il bigarra Il bigarra la surface. He mottled the surface.
Elle bigarra Elle bigarra le dessin. She mottled the drawing.
On bigarra On bigarra le papier. One mottled the paper.
Nous bigarrâmes Nous bigarrâmes les vêtements. We mottled the clothes.
Vous bigarrâtes Vous bigarrâtes les murs. You mottled the walls.
Ils bigarrèrent Ils bigarrèrent le tableau. They mottled the painting.
Elles bigarrèrent Elles bigarrèrent la céramique. They (feminine) mottled the ceramic.

Other Conjugations for Bigarrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bigarrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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