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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déblayer

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The English translation of the French verb déblayer is “to clear” or “to remove.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form déblayer is “dey-bley-ey.”

Déblayer originates from the combination of the prefix “de-” and the verb “blayer.” The prefix “de-” indicates the action of undoing or removing, while “blayer” means to sweep or clear away. In everyday French, déblayer is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past. The Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal or literary contexts.

Examples of déblayer in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Nous déblayâmes le grenier pour faire de la place.
    (We cleared the attic to make space.)

  2. Il déblaya rapidement la table après le dîner.
    (He quickly cleared the table after dinner.)

  3. Les ouvriers déblayèrent les débris après l’effondrement du bâtiment.
    (The workers cleared the debris after the building collapse.)

Please note that the usage of the Passé Simple tense is less common in everyday spoken French, where the Passé Composé tense is often preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déblayai Je déblayai la table. I cleared the table.
Tu déblayas Tu déblayas la chambre. You cleared the room.
Il déblaya Il déblaya le chemin. He cleared the path.
Elle déblaya Elle déblaya le jardin. She cleared the garden.
On déblaya On déblaya les débris. One cleared the debris.
Nous déblayâmes Nous déblayâmes la route. We cleared the road.
Vous déblayâtes Vous déblayâtes le garage. You cleared the garage.
Ils déblayèrent Ils déblayèrent les gravats. They cleared the rubble.
Elles déblayèrent Elles déblayèrent les feuilles. They (feminine) cleared the leaves.

Other Conjugations for Déblayer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déblayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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