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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bornoyer

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The English translation of the French verb “bornoyer” is “to squint” or “to look askance”. The infinitive form “bornoyer” is pronounced as “bɔʀnwaje”.

The verb “bornoyer” comes from the Old French word “bornoier”, which originated from the Frankish word “brun” meaning “armor” or “protection”. In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events that are completed and have no connection to the present. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French today, and instead, the Passé Composé tense is typically used to talk about past events.

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

  1. Je bornoyai devant la scène pour mieux voir l’acteur.
    (I squinted in front of the stage to see the actor better.)

  2. Tu bornoyas en regardant le tableau accroché au mur.
    (You squinted while looking at the picture hanging on the wall.)

  3. Il/Elle bornoya lorsqu’il/elle essaya de lire le petit texte.
    (He/She squinted when trying to read the small text.)

Please note that the usage of the Passé Simple tense is more common in literary works such as books or formal writing, and it is not frequently used in spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bornoyai J’bornoyai devant la maison. I stared at the house.
Tu bornoyas Tu bornoyas ta tasse. You stared at your cup.
Il bornoya Il bornoya l’horizon. He stared at the horizon.
Elle bornoya Elle bornoya son assiette. She stared at her plate.
On bornoya On bornoya les passants. One stared at the passersby.
Nous bornoyâmes Nous bornoyâmes l’océan. We stared at the ocean.
Vous bornoyâtes Vous bornoyâtes le tableau. You stared at the painting.
Ils bornoyèrent Ils bornoyèrent la montagne. They stared at the mountain.
Elles bornoyèrent Elles bornoyèrent la lune. They (feminine) stared at the moon.

Other Conjugations for Bornoyer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bornoyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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