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Verb conjugation

babiller

to chat; to babble; to natter (to talk about insignificant things); to scold

Usage

To babble or prattle — used affectionately for a baby's first sounds (le bébé babille dans son berceau) and, more generally, for cheerful, rapid, somewhat empty chatter among adults.

Examples
  • Le bébé babille joyeusement dans son berceau.The baby babbles happily in its crib.
  • Les enfants babillaient sans arrêt pendant le trajet.The children chattered nonstop during the trip.
  • Elle babille de choses et d'autres sans vraiment écouter.She prattles on about this and that without really listening.
Common mistake

Babiller has a light, affectionate, or mildly dismissive tone — for neutral 'to talk' or serious conversation, learners should use parler or discuter instead.

Simple tenses

Present

jebabille
tubabilles
il/ellebabille
nousbabillons
vousbabillez
ils/ellesbabillent

Imperfect

jebabillais
tubabillais
il/ellebabillait
nousbabillions
vousbabilliez
ils/ellesbabillaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jebabillai
tubabillas
il/ellebabilla
nousbabillâmes
vousbabillâtes
ils/ellesbabillèrent

Future

jebabillerai
tubabilleras
il/ellebabillera
nousbabillerons
vousbabillerez
ils/ellesbabilleront

Conditional

jebabillerais
tubabillerais
il/ellebabillerait
nousbabillerions
vousbabilleriez
ils/ellesbabilleraient

Subjunctive

jebabille
tubabilles
il/ellebabille
nousbabillions
vousbabilliez
ils/ellesbabillent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jebabillasse
tubabillasses
il/ellebabillât
nousbabillassions
vousbabillassiez
ils/ellesbabillassent

Imperative

tubabille
nousbabillons
vousbabillez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai babillé
tuas babillé
il/ellea babillé
nousavons babillé
vousavez babillé
ils/ellesont babillé

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais babillé
tuavais babillé
il/elleavait babillé
nousavions babillé
vousaviez babillé
ils/ellesavaient babillé

Passé antérieur

jeeus babillé
tueus babillé
il/elleeut babillé
nouseûmes babillé
vouseûtes babillé
ils/elleseurent babillé

Futur antérieur

jeaurai babillé
tuauras babillé
il/elleaura babillé
nousaurons babillé
vousaurez babillé
ils/ellesauront babillé

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais babillé
tuaurais babillé
il/elleaurait babillé
nousaurions babillé
vousauriez babillé
ils/ellesauraient babillé

Subjonctif passé

jeaie babillé
tuaies babillé
il/elleait babillé
nousayons babillé
vousayez babillé
ils/ellesaient babillé

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse babillé
tueusses babillé
il/elleeût babillé
nouseussions babillé
vouseussiez babillé
ils/elleseussent babillé

Impératif passé

tuaie babillé
nousayons babillé
vousayez babillé

Other

Present participle

babillant

Past participle

babillé

Infinitive

babiller

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "babiller" mean?

"babiller" means "to chat; to babble; to natter (to talk about insignificant things); to scold".

How do you conjugate "babiller" in the present tense?

The present of "babiller" is: je babille, tu babilles, il/elle babille, nous babillons, vous babillez, ils/elles babillent.

What is the Passé composé of "babiller"?

The passé composé of "babiller" is: je ai babillé, tu as babillé, il/elle a babillé, nous avons babillé, vous avez babillé, ils/elles ont babillé.

What is the Imperative of "babiller"?

The imperative of "babiller" is: tu babille, nous babillons, vous babillez.