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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gribouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “gribouiller” is “to scribble” or “to doodle.” The infinitive form of “gribouiller” is pronounced as [ɡʁi.bu.je].

The origin of the word “gribouiller” is uncertain, but it is believed to be derived from the Middle French word “gribouille,” which referred to a scratch or a scribble. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of quickly and carelessly drawing or writing something.

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

  • Je gribouillai (I scribbled/doodled)
  • Tu gribouillas (You scribbled/doodled)
  • Il/Elle/On gribouilla (He/She/One scribbled/doodled)
  • Nous gribouillâmes (We scribbled/doodled)
  • Vous gribouillâtes (You scribbled/doodled)
  • Ils/Elles gribouillèrent (They scribbled/doodled)

Here are three simple examples of “gribouiller” used in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’étais ennuyé en cours, alors j’ai gribouillé sur ma feuille. (I was bored in class, so I scribbled on my sheet.)
  2. Il gribouilla quelques notes importantes pendant la réunion. (He scribbled down a few important notes during the meeting.)
  3. Hier, nous gribouillâmes des dessins amusants sur le tableau noir. (Yesterday, we scribbled funny drawings on the blackboard.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je gribouillai J’ai gribouillai un dessin. I scribbled a drawing.
Tu gribouillas Tu gribouillas une note. You scribbled a note.
Il gribouilla Il gribouilla sur la feuille. He scribbled on the paper.
Elle gribouilla Elle gribouilla un croquis. She scribbled a sketch.
On gribouilla On gribouilla des idées. One scribbled some ideas.
Nous gribouillâmes Nous gribouillâmes des dessins. We scribbled drawings.
Vous gribouillâtes Vous gribouillâtes un mot. You scribbled a word.
Ils gribouillèrent Ils gribouillèrent un message. They scribbled a message.
Elles gribouillèrent Elles gribouillèrent une lettre. They (feminine) scribbled a letter.

Other Conjugations for Gribouiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gribouiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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