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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débouler

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The English translation of the French verb débouler is “to come tumbling down” or “to come crashing down.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-boo-lay”.

Débouler is derived from the prefix “dé-” (indicating a reversal or an action going in the opposite direction) and the verb “bouler” (meaning “to roll” or “to tumble”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe a sudden and forceful movement downward or a fast and uncontrolled descent.

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

  1. Le vase déboula du rebord de la table.
    (The vase came tumbling down from the edge of the table.)

  2. Le cheval déboula de la colline à toute vitesse.
    (The horse came crashing down the hill at full speed.)

  3. Les enfants déboulèrent les escaliers en riant.
    (The children tumbled down the stairs laughing.)

In these examples, débouler is used to describe objects or individuals descending suddenly and rapidly, often with a sense of lack of control.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déboulai Je déboulai dans la pièce. I burst into the room.
Tu déboulas Tu déboulas dehors. You rushed outside.
Il déboula Il déboula du sommet de la colline. He rolled down the top of the hill.
Elle déboula Elle déboula en riant. She tumbled down while laughing.
On déboula On déboula dans le couloir. One rushed down the corridor.
Nous déboulâmes Nous déboulâmes les escaliers. We rushed down the stairs.
Vous déboulâtes Vous déboulâtes en trombe. You rushed in a hurry.
Ils déboulèrent Ils déboulèrent dans la pièce. They burst into the room.
Elles déboulèrent Elles déboulèrent sur la scène. They (feminine) rushed onto the stage.

Other Conjugations for Débouler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débouler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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