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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb buter

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The English translation of the French verb “buter” is “to collide” or “to bump into.” The infinitive form of “buter” is pronounced as [by.te].

“Buter” comes from the Latin word “buteo,” which means “to push, strike, or hit.” In everyday French, “buter” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions or events that occurred and were completed in the past. This tense is mainly used in written French, literature, or formal contexts.

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

  1. Il buta contre le mur.
    (He collided with the wall.)
  2. Le joueur buta contre son coéquipier.
    (The player bumped into his teammate.)
  3. La voiture buta violemment contre le trottoir.
    (The car crashed violently into the sidewalk.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple is used more frequently in written French, in spoken language, the Passé Composé is commonly used to express past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je butai Je butai contre la porte. I stumbled against the door.
Tu butas Tu butas sur une pierre. You stumbled over a stone.
Il buta Il buta sur un obstacle. He stumbled over an obstacle.
Elle buta Elle buta sur une racine. She stumbled over a root.
On buta On buta sur un problème. One stumbled upon a problem.
Nous butâmes Nous butâmes dans le noir. We stumbled in the dark.
Vous butâtes Vous butâtes sur vos mots. You stumbled over your words.
Ils butèrent Ils butèrent sur une pierre. They stumbled over a stone.
Elles butèrent Elles butèrent dans la rue. They (feminine) stumbled in the street.

Other Conjugations for Buter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb buter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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