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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gonfler

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The English translation of the French verb “gonfler” is “to inflate” or “to pump up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “gon-flay.”

The word “gonfler” comes from the Latin word “glandiflare” which means “to inflate.” It is primarily used in everyday French to describe the action of inflating or pumping up something, both literally and metaphorically.

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

  • Singular:
  1. Je gonflai – I inflated
  2. Tu gonflas – You (informal) inflated
  3. Il/elle/on gonfla – He/she/one inflated
  • Plural:
  1. Nous gonflâmes – We inflated
  2. Vous gonflâtes – You (formal/plural) inflated
  3. Ils/elles gonflèrent – They inflated

Examples of “gonfler” in the Passé Simple tense with English translations:

  1. J’achetai un ballon et je le gonflai avant de jouer. – I bought a ball and inflated it before playing.
  2. Il gonfla les pneus de sa voiture avant de partir en voyage. – He inflated the tires of his car before going on a trip.
  3. Nous gonflâmes les ballons pour la fête d’anniversaire. – We inflated the balloons for the birthday party.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gonflai J’ai gonflai le ballon. I inflated the balloon.
Tu gonflas Tu gonflas les pneus. You inflated the tires.
Il gonfla Il gonfla le ballon. He inflated the balloon.
Elle gonfla Elle gonfla le ballon. She inflated the balloon.
On gonfla On gonfla le ballon. One inflated the balloon.
Nous gonflâmes Nous gonflâmes les pneus. We inflated the tires.
Vous gonflâtes Vous gonflâtes les ballons. You inflated the balloons.
Ils gonflèrent Ils gonflèrent le ballon. They inflated the balloon.
Elles gonflèrent Elles gonflèrent le ballon. They (feminine) inflated the balloon.

Other Conjugations for Gonfler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gonfler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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