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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâcler

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The English translation of the French verb débâcler is “to collapse” or “to break down”. The infinitive form of débâcler is pronounced as “dey-bah-kley”.

Débâcler originated from the combination of the prefix dé- (indicating reversal or removal) and bâcler (meaning “to do something carelessly or hastily”). It is commonly used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary tense used mostly in written language, such as literature or formal texts.

Here are three examples of débâcler in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. L’entreprise débâcla après la crise financière. (The company collapsed after the financial crisis.)
  2. L’équipe de football débâcla lors du dernier match. (The football team broke down during the last game.)
  3. Sa carrière débâcla après le scandale. (His career fell apart after the scandal.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is less commonly used in spoken French, and the verb débâcler itself is not frequently used in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je débâclai Je débâclai le projet. I failed the project.
Tu débâclas Tu débâclas la réunion. You failed the meeting.
Il débâcla Il débâcla l’entreprise. He failed the company.
Elle débâcla Elle débâcla l’opération. She failed the operation.
On débâcla On débâcla le plan. One failed the plan.
Nous débâclâmes Nous débâclâmes le match. We failed the game.
Vous débâclâtes Vous débâclâtes le concert. You failed the concert.
Ils débâclèrent Ils débâclèrent le projet. They failed the project.
Elles débâclèrent Elles débâclèrent la compétition. They (feminine) failed the competition.

Other Conjugations for Débâcler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâcler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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