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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débiter

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The English translation of the French verb débiter is “to debit” or “to cut.” The infinitive form “débiter” is pronounced as “dey-bee-tey.”

Débiter originates from the Latin word “debitare,” which means “to owe.” In everyday French, débiter is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used mostly in written French, particularly in literature and formal writing.

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

  1. Il débita un discours passionné pendant la réunion.
    Translation: He delivered a passionate speech during the meeting.

  2. Elle débita les chiffres rapidement et avec précision.
    Translation: She rapidly and accurately rattled off the numbers.

  3. Le boucher débita la viande en fines tranches.
    Translation: The butcher sliced the meat into thin pieces.

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, as it has been mostly replaced by the more common passé composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je débitai Je débitai le bois. I cut the wood.
Tu débitas Tu débitas le papier. You cut the paper.
Il débita Il débita le gâteau. He cut the cake.
Elle débita Elle débita la viande. She cut the meat.
On débita On débita les carottes. One cut the carrots.
Nous débitâmes Nous débitâmes les légumes. We cut the vegetables.
Vous débitâtes Vous débitâtes le tissu. You cut the fabric.
Ils débitèrent Ils débitèrent le bois. They cut the wood.
Elles débitèrent Elles débitèrent le carton. They (feminine) cut the cardboard.

Other Conjugations for Débiter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débiter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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