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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débroussailler

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The English translation of the French verb débroussailler is “to clear (land) of undergrowth/to clear (land) of brush/to clear (land) of scrub.” The infinitive form of débroussailler is pronounced as “day-broo-say-yay.”

Débroussailler has its origins in the French word “broussaille,” which means “brush” or “undergrowth.” It is often used in everyday French to refer to the act of clearing land from overgrown vegetation or underbrush.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, débroussailler is less commonly used in everyday spoken French and is more often found in written or formal contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je débroussaillai le terrain toute la journée.
    (I cleared the land all day.)

  2. Il débroussailla le jardin après l’orage.
    (He cleared the garden after the storm.)

  3. Nous débroussaillâmes la forêt pour construire la route.
    (We cleared the forest to build the road.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je débroussaillai J’ai débroussaillai le jardin. I cleared the garden.
Tu débroussaillas Tu débroussaillas le chemin. You cleared the path.
Il débroussailla Il débroussailla les broussailles. He cleared the undergrowth.
Elle débroussailla Elle débroussailla la clairière. She cleared the clearing.
On débroussailla On débroussailla les taillis. One cleared the thickets.
Nous débroussaillâmes Nous débroussaillâmes la forêt. We cleared the forest.
Vous débroussaillâtes Vous débroussaillâtes le terrain. You cleared the land.
Ils débroussaillèrent Ils débroussaillèrent la zone. They cleared the area.
Elles débroussaillèrent Elles débroussaillèrent les ronces. They (feminine) cleared the brambles.

Other Conjugations for Débroussailler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débroussailler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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