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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb buller

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The English translation of the French verb “buller” is “to lounge” or “to laze around.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “buller” is [by-le].

The word “buller” comes from the Latin word “bullicare,” which means “to bubble,” “to make a noise,” or “to froth.” In everyday French, “buller” is used to describe the action of relaxing, lounging, or idling around. It is often used in informal contexts to express a state of leisure or doing nothing in particular.

Examples of “buller” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Hier, je bullai au bord de la piscine toute la journée.
    (Yesterday, I lounged by the pool all day.)

  2. Pendant les vacances d’été, nous bullâmes sur la plage pendant des heures.
    (During the summer vacation, we lazed around on the beach for hours.)

  3. Elle bulla dans son lit jusqu’à midi.
    (She lounged in bed until noon.)

English translations:

  1. Yesterday, I lounged by the pool all day.
  2. During the summer vacation, we lazed around on the beach for hours.
  3. She lounged in bed until noon.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bullai Je bullai dans la piscine. I floated in the pool.
Tu bullas Tu bullas toute la journée. You floated all day.
Il bula Il bula sur l’eau. He floated on the water.
Elle bula Elle bula dans l’océan. She floated in the ocean.
On bula On bula dans le lac. One floated in the lake.
Nous bullâmes Nous bullâmes sur le fleuve. We floated on the river.
Vous bullâtes Vous bullâtes dans la mer. You floated in the sea.
Ils bullèrent Ils bullèrent sur la rivière. They floated on the river.
Elles bullèrent Elles bullèrent dans la piscine. They (feminine) floated in the pool.

Other Conjugations for Buller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb buller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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