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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bossuer

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The English translation of the French verb “bossuer” is “to dent” or “to put a dent in.” The infinitive form of “bossuer” is pronounced as bo-swey.

The verb “bossuer” is derived from the Old French word “bos,” meaning “protuberance” or “swelling.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is commonly used in formal writing and literature.

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

  1. Le coup de marteau bossua la tôle du véhicule. (The hammer blow dented the vehicle’s metal sheet.)
  2. Le ballon bossua le mur en béton. (The ball put a dent in the concrete wall.)
  3. L’accident bossua le capot de la voiture. (The accident caused a dent in the car hood.)

In these examples, “bossuer” is used to describe the action of putting a dent or causing a swelling in different objects or surfaces.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bossuai Je bossuai la tôle. I dented the metal.
Tu bossuas Tu bossuas la carrosserie. You dented the bodywork.
Il bossua Il bossua le capot. He dented the hood.
Elle bossua Elle bossua la porte. She dented the door.
On bossua On bossua la voiture. One dented the car.
Nous bossuâmes Nous bossuâmes la surface. We dented the surface.
Vous bossuâtes Vous bossuâtes le pare-chocs. You dented the bumper.
Ils bossuèrent Ils bossuèrent la carrosserie. They dented the bodywork.
Elles bossuèrent Elles bossuèrent le toit. They (feminine) dented the roof.

Other Conjugations for Bossuer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bossuer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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