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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb billonner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of billonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “billonner” is “to bubble” or “to foam”. The infinitive form “billonner” is pronounced as “bee-oh-nay”.

The word “billonner” comes from the French noun “billon”, which refers to a mass of small bubbles. It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in literary or formal contexts, as this tense is rarely used in spoken language.

Here are three examples of “billonner” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Les vagues billonnèrent à la surface de l’océan. (The waves bubbled on the surface of the ocean.)
  2. Le champagne billonna dans les flûtes en cristal. (The champagne foamed in the crystal flutes.)
  3. La potion magique billonna dans le chaudron du sorcier. (The magic potion bubbled in the wizard’s cauldron.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts in French, and it is less commonly used in everyday spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je billonnai J’ai billonné le tissu. I pleated the fabric.
Tu billonnas Tu as billonné la jupe. You pleated the skirt.
Il billonna Il a billonné le drap. He pleated the sheet.
Elle billonna Elle a billonné la nappe. She pleated the tablecloth.
On billonna On a billonné le rideau. One pleated the curtain.
Nous billonnâmes Nous avons billonné les rideaux. We pleated the curtains.
Vous billonnâtes Vous avez billonné le tissu. You pleated the fabric.
Ils billonnèrent Ils ont billonné les serviettes. They pleated the napkins.
Elles billonnèrent Elles ont billonné le tissu. They (feminine) pleated the fabric.

Other Conjugations for Billonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb billonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the billonner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply