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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boulonner

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The English translation of the French verb “boulonner” is “to bolt” or “to screw”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “boulonner” is [boo-loh-neh].

The verb “boulonner” comes from the noun “boulon”, which means “bolt” in English. It is derived from the Old French word “bolon” and ultimately from the Latin word “bullō” meaning “to boil”. In everyday French, “boulonner” is often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in written or formal speech, but it is less commonly used in spoken language.

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

  1. J’ouvris le capot de la voiture et boulonnai le moteur. (I opened the car hood and bolted the engine.)
  2. Le menuisier boulonna solidement les planches ensemble. (The carpenter bolted the boards together securely.)
  3. Ils boulonnèrent les étagères au mur avec soin. (They bolted the shelves to the wall carefully.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is a literary tense used mostly in written French, particularly in literature, historical narratives, and formal writing. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je boulonnai J’ai boulonnai la machine. I bolted the machine.
Tu boulonnas Tu boulonnas l’étagère. You bolted the shelf.
Il boulonna Il boulonna la porte. He bolted the door.
Elle boulonna Elle boulonna la fenêtre. She bolted the window.
On boulonna On boulonna la charpente. One bolted the frame.
Nous boulonnâmes Nous boulonnâmes les plaques. We bolted the plates.
Vous boulonnâtes Vous boulonnâtes les écrous. You bolted the nuts.
Ils boulonnèrent Ils boulonnèrent les vis. They bolted the screws.
Elles boulonnèrent Elles boulonnèrent les fixations. They (feminine) bolted the fasteners.

Other Conjugations for Boulonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boulonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Boulonner – 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.

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