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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débouter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of débouter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb débouter is “to dismiss” or “to reject.” The infinitive form of débouter is pronounced as “day-boo-teh.”

Débouter comes from the Old French word “desboter,” which means “to remove boots.” It is derived from the combination of the prefix “des-” (meaning “undo” or “remove”) and the word “botte” (meaning “boot”). Over time, débouter has evolved in its meaning and is now commonly used to indicate the act of dismissing or rejecting someone or something.

In everyday French, débouter in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense is not very commonly used. The Passé Simple is a literary tense and is generally reserved for formal written texts, such as literature or historical narratives. In spoken French, the Passé Composé is used instead to talk about past events.

Examples of débouter in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Le juge débouta l’accusé de toutes les charges. (The judge dismissed the accused of all charges.)
  2. Le comité débouta la demande de subvention de l’association. (The committee rejected the association’s grant application.)
  3. Le tribunal débouta le plaignant et donna raison à l’accusé. (The court dismissed the plaintiff and ruled in favor of the defendant.)

English translations:

  1. The judge dismissed the accused of all charges.
  2. The committee rejected the association’s grant application.
  3. The court dismissed the plaintiff and ruled in favor of the defendant.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déboutai Je déboutai le témoin. I dismissed the witness.
Tu déboutas Tu déboutas le demandeur. You dismissed the plaintiff.
Il débouta Il débouta l’accusé. He dismissed the accused.
Elle débouta Elle débouta la requête. She dismissed the request.
On débouta On débouta le défendeur. One dismissed the defendant.
Nous déboutâmes Nous déboutâmes les arguments. We dismissed the arguments.
Vous déboutâtes Vous déboutâtes la motion. You dismissed the motion.
Ils déboutèrent Ils déboutèrent l’appel. They dismissed the appeal.
Elles déboutèrent Elles déboutèrent la plainte. They (feminine) dismissed the complaint.

Other Conjugations for Débouter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débouter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the débouter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply