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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb hiberner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of hiberner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “hiberner” is “to hibernate.” The infinitive form of “hiberner” is pronounced as “ee-ber-nay.”

The word “hiberner” originates from the Latin word “hibernare,” meaning “to winter.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the act of animals entering a period of dormancy or inactivity during the winter months.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is mainly used in written French, “hiberner” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je hibernai (I hibernated)
  • Tu hibernas (You hibernated)
  • Il/elle hiberna (He/she hibernated)

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

  1. Les écureuils hibernèrent dans leur terrier pendant tout l’hiver. (The squirrels hibernated in their burrow throughout the winter.)
  2. Les ours hibernèrent pendant plusieurs mois sans se réveiller. (The bears hibernated for several months without waking up.)
  3. Les tortues hibernèrent dans la boue jusqu’à l’arrivée du printemps. (The turtles hibernated in the mud until the arrival of spring.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is primarily used in formal writing, and in spoken language, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je hibernai J’hibernai tout l’hiver. I hibernated all winter.
Tu hibernas Tu hibernas dans ta grotte. You hibernated in your cave.
Il hiberna Il hiberna profondément. He hibernated deeply.
Elle hiberna Elle hiberna dans son terrier. She hibernated in her burrow.
On hiberna On hiberna dans les arbres. One hibernated in the trees.
Nous hibernâmes Nous hibernâmes en groupe. We hibernated together.
Vous hibernâtes Vous hibernâtes dans la grotte. You hibernated in the cave.
Ils hibernèrent Ils hibernèrent sous la neige. They hibernated under the snow.
Elles hibernèrent Elles hibernèrent dans leur tanière. They (feminine) hibernated in their den.

Other Conjugations for Hiberner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hiberner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the hiberner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply