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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gerber

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The English translation of the French verb “gerber” is “to vomit.” The infinitive form of the verb “gerber” is pronounced as “zhehr-bay.”

The verb “gerber” originated from the Old French word “gerbel,” which meant “to vomit.” It is primarily used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense rarely used in spoken language. In informal speech, the Passé Composé is commonly used instead.

However, here are three simple examples of “gerber” in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. Il gerba sur le sol. (He vomited on the floor.)
  2. Elle gerba après avoir trop mangé. (She vomited after eating too much.)
  3. Les enfants gerbèrent dans le parc. (The children vomited in the park.)

Please note that while these examples showcase the usage of “gerber” in the Passé Simple tense, it is essential to emphasize that this tense is rarely used in contemporary spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gerbai Je gerbai mon repas. I vomited my meal.
Tu gerbas Tu gerbas dans les toilettes. You vomited in the toilet.
Il gerba Il gerba sur le sol. He vomited on the floor.
Elle gerba Elle gerba après avoir mangé. She vomited after eating.
On gerba On gerba à cause de la nourriture. One vomited because of the food.
Nous gerbâmes Nous gerbâmes toute la nuit. We vomited all night.
Vous gerbâtes Vous gerbâtes dans le seau. You vomited in the bucket.
Ils gerbèrent Ils gerbèrent après avoir bu. They vomited after drinking.
Elles gerbèrent Elles gerbèrent dans les toilettes. They (feminine) vomited in the toilet.

Other Conjugations for Gerber.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gerber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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