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Verb conjugation

biller

to turn a piece of wood placed on a support; to flatten dough with a rolling pin

Usage

An old and now rare technical verb, mainly from carpentry and rope-work: to turn or pivot a piece of timber by leveraging it with a bille (a wooden roller or lever), or in old river-boat towing, to harness horses in pairs. Almost nobody uses it in ordinary conversation today.

Examples
  • Le charpentier a billé la poutre pour l'ajuster.The carpenter pivoted the beam with a lever to fit it.
  • Autrefois, on billait les chevaux pour tirer les péniches.In the old days, horses were harnessed in pairs to tow the barges.
  • Il faut biller la pièce de bois avant de la poser.You have to lever the piece of wood into place before setting it down.
Common mistake

This is a specialized trade term, largely obsolete outside historical or technical texts — don't confuse it with billeter (to label) or facturer (to bill/invoice), which sound similar in English but mean something entirely different.

Simple tenses

Present

jebille
tubilles
il/ellebille
nousbillons
vousbillez
ils/ellesbillent

Imperfect

jebillais
tubillais
il/ellebillait
nousbillions
vousbilliez
ils/ellesbillaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jebillai
tubillas
il/ellebilla
nousbillâmes
vousbillâtes
ils/ellesbillèrent

Future

jebillerai
tubilleras
il/ellebillera
nousbillerons
vousbillerez
ils/ellesbilleront

Conditional

jebillerais
tubillerais
il/ellebillerait
nousbillerions
vousbilleriez
ils/ellesbilleraient

Subjunctive

jebille
tubilles
il/ellebille
nousbillions
vousbilliez
ils/ellesbillent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jebillasse
tubillasses
il/ellebillât
nousbillassions
vousbillassiez
ils/ellesbillassent

Imperative

tubille
nousbillons
vousbillez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

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

Plus-que-parfait

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

Passé antérieur

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

Futur antérieur

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

Conditionnel passé

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

Subjonctif passé

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

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

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

Impératif passé

tuaie billé
nousayons billé
vousayez billé

Other

Present participle

billant

Past participle

billé

Infinitive

biller

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "biller" mean?

"biller" means "to turn a piece of wood placed on a support; to flatten dough with a rolling pin".

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

The present of "biller" is: je bille, tu billes, il/elle bille, nous billons, vous billez, ils/elles billent.

What is the Passé composé of "biller"?

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

What is the Imperative of "biller"?

The imperative of "biller" is: tu bille, nous billons, vous billez.