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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débarbouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “débarbouiller” is “to clean up” or “to wipe off”. The infinitive form “débarbouiller” is pronounced as “day-ba-roo-yay.”

The word “débarbouiller” is derived from the combination of “dé-” (a prefix indicating removal) and “barbouiller” (meaning to make dirty or to smear). It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of cleaning someone’s face or wiping off dirt or stains.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense rarely used in spoken French, “débarbouiller” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je débarbouillai: I cleaned up
  • Tu débarbouillas: You (singular) cleaned up
  • Il/Elle débarbouilla: He/She cleaned up

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je débarbouillai mon enfant avant de le mettre au lit.
    (I cleaned up my child before putting him to bed.)

  2. Elle débarbouilla son visage avec une serviette.
    (She wiped off her face with a towel.)

  3. Nous débarbouillâmes les taches sur le tapis.
    (We cleaned up the stains on the carpet.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je débarbouillai Je débarbouillai mon visage. I washed my face.
Tu débarbouillas Tu débarbouillas le bébé. You washed the baby.
Il débarbouilla Il débarbouilla sa chemise. He washed his shirt.
Elle débarbouilla Elle débarbouilla ses mains. She washed her hands.
On débarbouilla On débarbouilla la table. One washed the table.
Nous débarbouillâmes Nous débarbouillâmes les assiettes. We washed the plates.
Vous débarbouillâtes Vous débarbouillâtes les tasses. You washed the cups.
Ils débarbouillèrent Ils débarbouillèrent les jouets. They washed the toys.
Elles débarbouillèrent Elles débarbouillèrent les vêtements. They (feminine) washed the clothes.

Other Conjugations for Débarbouiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débarbouiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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