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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gambader

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The English translation of the French verb “gambader” is “to frolic” or “to prance.” The infinitive form of “gambader” is pronounced as “gahm-bah-day.”

“Gambader” is derived from the Old French word “gamber,” which means “to jump” or “to skip.” It has its roots in the Frankish language. In everyday French, “gambader” is commonly used to describe the playful and energetic movement of animals or children.

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

  • Je gambadai (I frolicked)
  • Tu gambadas (You frolicked)
  • Il/Elle/On gambada (He/She/It frolicked)

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

  1. Les enfants gambadèrent dans le jardin. (The children frolicked in the garden.)
  2. Le chien gambada joyeusement dans la prairie. (The dog frolicked happily in the meadow.)
  3. Les chevaux gambadèrent dans le champ verdoyant. (The horses frolicked in the green field.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing or literature, and the more commonly used past tense in everyday spoken French is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gambadai Je gambadai dans le pré. I frolicked in the meadow.
Tu gambadas Tu gambadas joyeusement. You frolicked happily.
Il gambada Il gambada près du ruisseau. He frolicked near the stream.
Elle gambada Elle gambada dans le jardin. She frolicked in the garden.
On gambada On gambada dans la cour. One frolicked in the courtyard.
Nous gambadâmes Nous gambadâmes dans la forêt. We frolicked in the forest.
Vous gambadâtes Vous gambadâtes sur la plage. You frolicked on the beach.
Ils gambadèrent Ils gambadèrent dans le parc. They frolicked in the park.
Elles gambadèrent Elles gambadèrent dans le champ. They (feminine) frolicked in the field.

Other Conjugations for Gambader.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gambader

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gambader – 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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