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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boiter

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The English translation of the French verb “boiter” is “to limp” or “to hobble”. The infinitive form “boiter” is pronounced as “bwah-tey”.

The verb “boiter” comes from the Latin word “battuere” meaning “to beat”. In everyday French, “boiter” is used to describe the action of walking with difficulty due to an injury or a physical condition. It is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense in formal writing, literature, or historical contexts.

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

  1. Il boita après s’être tordu la cheville.
    (He limped after twisting his ankle.)

  2. Le chien boita après avoir été frappé par une voiture.
    (The dog hobbled after being hit by a car.)

  3. Elle boita toute sa vie à cause d’une malformation congénitale.
    (She limped her whole life due to a congenital malformation.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing and literature in contemporary French. In spoken language, the Passé Composé is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je boitai Je boitai vers la porte. I limped towards the door.
Tu boitas Tu boitas après la course. You limped after the race.
Il boita Il boita en raison de la douleur. He limped due to the pain.
Elle boita Elle boita suite à une blessure. She limped due to an injury.
On boita On boita en marchant sur un caillou. One limped after stepping on a stone.
Nous boitâmes Nous boitâmes jusqu’au refuge. We limped to the shelter.
Vous boitâtes Vous boitâtes jusqu’à la voiture. You limped to the car.
Ils boitèrent Ils boitèrent vers la sortie. They limped towards the exit.
Elles boitèrent Elles boitèrent après la chute. They (feminine) limped after the fall.

Other Conjugations for Boiter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boiter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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