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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damasser

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The English translation of the French verb “damasser” is “to amass” or “to accumulate.” The infinitive form of “damasser” is pronounced as “da-ma-se”.

“Damasser” is derived from the Old French word “damas,” which means “damask,” referring to a richly patterned fabric. In everyday French, the verb “damasser” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary or formal past tense in French.

Here are three examples of “damasser” used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les riches damassèrent une grande fortune. (The rich accumulated a great fortune.)
  2. Il damassa de nombreux livres tout au long de sa vie. (He amassed numerous books throughout his life.)
  3. Pendant la guerre, ils damassèrent du matériel militaire. (During the war, they stockpiled military equipment.)

These examples demonstrate how “damasser” is used to express the action of accumulating or amassing something in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je damassai J’ai damassé la nappe. I damasked the tablecloth.
Tu damassas Tu damassas le tissu. You damasked the fabric.
Il damassa Il damassa le papier peint. He damasked the wallpaper.
Elle damassa Elle damassa le tapis. She damasked the carpet.
On damassa On damassa le tissu. One damasked the fabric.
Nous damassâmes Nous damassâmes le linge. We damasked the linen.
Vous damassâtes Vous damassâtes la soie. You damasked the silk.
Ils damassèrent Ils damassèrent la robe. They damasked the dress.
Elles damassèrent Elles damassèrent le coussin. They (feminine) damasked the cushion.

Other Conjugations for Damasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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