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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bosser

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The English translation of the French verb “bosser” is “to work” or “to do a job.” The infinitive form “bosser” is pronounced as “bo-say.”

The word “bosser” originated from the slang term “boss,” which means “work.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe working or doing a job, especially in informal or colloquial contexts. It is often used to convey a sense of hard work or dedication.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “bosser” is conjugated as follows:

  • J’bossai (I worked)
  • Tu bossas (You worked)
  • Il/elle bossa (He/She worked)

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

  1. J’bossai toute la nuit pour terminer le projet.
    (I worked all night to finish the project.)

  2. Tu bossas durant les vacances pour économiser de l’argent.
    (You worked during the holidays to save money.)

  3. Il bossa pendant des heures pour trouver une solution.
    (He worked for hours to find a solution.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in formal writing or literature. In everyday spoken French, the passé composé or other tenses are more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bossai Je bossai tard hier soir. I worked late last night.
Tu bossas Tu bossas beaucoup la semaine dernière. You worked a lot last week.
Il bossa Il bossa dur pour réussir. He worked hard to succeed.
Elle bossa Elle bossa dans un restaurant. She worked in a restaurant.
On bossa On bossa ensemble sur le projet. We worked together on the project.
Nous bossâmes Nous bossâmes toute la journée. We worked all day.
Vous bossâtes Vous bossâtes chez vous. You worked at home.
Ils bossèrent Ils bossèrent ensemble sur le projet. They worked together on the project.
Elles bossèrent Elles bossèrent dur pour réussir. They (feminine) worked hard to succeed.

Other Conjugations for Bosser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bosser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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